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THE YOUNQ OF HEART SERIES 

ILLUSTRATED 


1. Hero^Chums . , . By Will Allen Dromgoole 

2. The Pineboro Quartette . By Willis Boyd Allen 

3. One Thousand Men for a Christmas Present, 

By Mary A. Sheldon 

4. Daddy Darwin’s Dovecote . By Juliana H. Ewing 

5. Rare Old Chums . . By Will Allen Dromgoole 

6. The Drums of the Fore and Aft, 

By Rudyard Kipling 

7. The Strange Adventures of Billy Trill, 

By Harriet A. Cheever 

8. A Boy’s Battle . . By Will Allen Dromgoole 

9. The Man Without a Country, 

By Edward Everett Hale 

10. Editha’s Burglar . . By Frances Hodgson Burnett 

11. Jess By J. M. Barrie 

12. Little Rosebud ... By Beatrice Harraden 

Special Cover Design on each Volume 

Each, Thin l2mo. Cloth. 50 Cents 

DANA ESTES & CO., Publishers, Boston 


LITTLE ROSEBUD 


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“ ‘ ain’t 1 JUST PROUD TO SEE YOU, THAT’S ALL ! ’ ” 


LITTLE ROSEBUD 

OR 

THINGS WILL TAKE A TURN 



BEATRICE HA REAP EN 

AUTHOR OF 

“ships that pass in the night,” etc. 


Cllusttatrt 



BOSTON 

DANA ESTES A COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 



i 




Copyright, j8g8 

By Dana Estes & Company 

2n • ; ■ 

1396 . 



TWO COPIES hcCEiVED. 

0 Colonial l^rtso: 

Electrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds & Co. 
Boston, U. S. A. 




CONTENTS 


CHAPTER PAGE 

1. The Old Book-shop 11 

IT. Rosebud’s New Friend ..... 24 

III. Rosebud Prepares for High Life . . 34 

IV. Mr. Dighton’s Housekeeper .... 48 

V. Violet and Rosebud ..... 60 

VI. The Wonderful Parrot .... 71 

VII. Mr. Jones Visits Grosvenor Square . . 78 

VIII. A Chapter of Pleasant Surprises . . 91 

IX. A New Lease of Life 106 

X. A Pleasant Prospect 115 

XT. Grand-dad’s Dream Comes True . . 120 

XII. The Old and the New 128 









ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

“ ‘ Ain’t I just proud to see you, that’s all ’ ” 

Frontispiece 

“She spent her time in patching them up” . 11 

“Childie had seen him give back the book 

together with the money ” . . . .14 

“ Childie put her arms around grand-dad’s 

neck” .......... 15 

“She fetched him his rusty hat and ms 

STICK ” 17 

“‘Mr. Jones,’ she said, ‘your sleeve is torn’” 19 

The dear little face . . . became once more ** 

ANXIOUS AND SAD 21 

“ ‘ If you please, sir, I will serve you ’ ” . . 22 

“Childie waited in breathless anxiety whilst 

HE EXAMINED EVERY BOOK ” .... 27 

“‘JMeantime do you take this ’ere soup’”. . 32 

“Grand-dad then sneezed several times”. . 36 

“ ‘ Good gracious ! I’ye been treading on your 

DOLL ’” 40 

“‘Do LET me give Bully a hemp seed, — just 

one, Mr. Jones ’ ” 44 


Vll 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 


Vlll 


“He stooped down and kissed her very 
gently” ........ 

“ She was lifted on to the sofa by t'he 

WINDOW 

“‘This is my friend, Mr. Jones 

“Mrs. AVhite smiled and closed her eyes” 

“ He found her dolls in a corner of the shop ” 

“ ‘ If you please, miss. I’ve come ’ ” 

“ ‘ Here is a doll I want you very much to 

HAVE ’ ” . 

“ ‘ Thank you. Rosebud, for making my little 

GIRL HAPPY 

“Mr. Jones whirled her around and around” . 
“‘Things ’ave took a turn, — ’urrah! say 

THAT, DONKEY ’ ” . 

“ He lit his pipe and offered the match to 

Grand-dad” 

“He heard some wonderful sounds” . 

“Mr. Jones went into fits of laughter” . 
“‘Nice, tidy, pretty room this is, to be 

SURE ! ’ ” 

“ ChILDIE AVAS kneeling . . . KISSING HIS DEAR 

hands” . . . . . 

“The doctor came to see him and looked 

GRAA'E ” . . . . . . . . -. 

“ ‘ Sick folks like a avhole sight of flowers 

IN THEIR SICK-ROOM ’ ” 

“Mr. Jones, slipping off his boots, crept up- 
stairs ” 

“ ‘ Mr. Jones, dear, they say he is a^ery ill ’ ” 


47 

49 

53 

55 

57 

59 

63 

67 

70 

74 

75 
77 
82 

87 

89 

93 

95 

96 
98 


illustrations. 

“Mr. Dighton carried her tenderly down- 
stairs ” 

“Seizing the biggest book he could find, he 
PLACED her feet UPON IT ” 

“‘There, you’ve been and told,’ said Mr. Jones, 

SHAKING HIS FIST ” ...... 

“She took them out of a private drawer and 
PUT them tidy” ....... 

“Grand-dad came down . . . leaning on Child- 
ie’s arm . 

“‘Do YOU THINK Rosebud mill consent to 
COME, Mrs. White?”’ . . . . . 

“Mr. Dighton found Childie alone, putting 

THE BOOKS IN ORDER ” 

“He blew his red nose very violently” . 

“ Her little head m^as resting against his 


ix 

PAGE 

100 

102 

104 

110 

116 

121 

123 

126 


CHEEK 


130 








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LITTLE ROSEBUD. 


CHAPTER I. 

THE OLD BOOK-SHOP. 

T here was no denying it that trade was bad in 
the little tumble-down old second-hand book- 
shop in a poor street of London. Even little Rose 
Burnley, a ten-year-old lass, with large, wondering 
eyes, and a smile which was more often sad than 
merry, knew that things were not going on prosper- 
ously in grand-dad’s shop. I think she troubled more 
about them than he did ; for he was always reading. 

I suppose he thought that, as he could not sell the 
11 


12 


LITTLE B08EBUD. 


books, he might just as well read them and make 
some use of them. It was a pity they should lie there 
idle. They were not good-looking books ; they were 
old, and grubby, and worn, and had several names of 
the past owners written inside, and the second-hand 
price scratched in pencil on the title-page. Nowadays, 
when one can buy new copies so cheaply, these fusty, 
musty old things do not seem very attractive, do they ? 
Ah, well, we ought not to abuse them, for they have 
lived their lives and done their work well. 

And little Rose loved them all. She had a pro- 
found reverence for the very oldest; and when she 
was not reading, or seeing after grand-dad, she spent 
her time in patching them up. She was quite clever 
at making covers for them, and grand-dad himself 
said she ought to have been a binder. There was 
one dilapidated volume — I think it was Clarendon’s 
“ History of the Great Rebellion ” — which she re- 
stored in a marvellous way. Up to now this had 
been the triumph of her life, although I am not sure 
whether she was not as well pleased with her success 
in doctoring a forlorn Greek dictionary, which she 
respected all the more because she could not under- 
stand one single word in it. No, she was not a 
Greek scholar; but she was an English scholar in 
her own little way, and she could read aloud as well 
as any grown-up person, and she was not in the least 
frightened at long words. She read aloud to her 
dolls. Good gracious ! I really tremble to think what 
intellectual beings she had made of them. She had 


THE OLD BOOK- SHOP. 


13 


rather odd names for them ; her two favourites were 
called Robinson Crusoe and Jane Eyre. 

She often envied them. 

“ You have no worries,” she said. “ You don’t 
get up every morning, wondering, wondering whether 
any one will come and buy some books. And it is 
all the same to you whether grand-dad looks happy 
or troubled.” 

But grand-dad was really unhappy this fine June 
morning; for money was becoming very scarce, and 
no one came to the second-hand book-shop. Ah, 
and there I am wrong. 

People certainly did come, only they came to sell 
books, not to buy them, and seemed rather injured 
when shrivelled-up old David Burnley refused their 
offers. Why, he had not any money to spare now. 
He had not enough for Childie and himself. But 
in the days gone by, when starved-looking students 
begged him to buy their most precious volumes for a 
mere song, Childie, as he called his little granddaugh- 
ter, had often stood by, and seen him give back the 
book together with the money. She thought that 
very sweet of him, and loved him for it. 

But, you know, this was not the way to get on in 
life. His neighbours told him so. They thought him 
rather a silly old man. 

‘‘ He has read too much,” they said to each other. 
“ Of course he is silly ! ” 

That was their way of looking at the matter ; but 
they were ignorant folk, and knew more about Dutch 


14 


LITTLE LOSE BUI). 


cheeses and tinned sardines than they did about books ! 
Anyway, to-day he was very troubled about his affairs ; 
he could not fix his attention on his book. He kept 
looking at Childie, who sat by his side on a footstool, 
mending Robinson Crusoe’s coat. Poor coat ! it was 



even shabbier than grand-dad’s coat ; and that was say- 
ing a good deal. He kept looking at Jane Eyre, who 
was lying flat on her l)ack, gazing intently at the murky 
ceiling of the old book-shop. She was very shabby, 
too. They were all shabby and poor, and rather 
hungry, let me tell you. He combed his thin white 
hair with his thin hand, and then stroked his brow. 


THE OLD BOOK- SHOP. 


15 


“ Childie,” he said, gently, times are very bad.” 
In a moment Robinson Crusoe and his coat were 
thrown on the ground, and Childie sprang up and put 
her arms around grand-dad’s neck and kissed him. 

“ I know, dear,” she whispered. 



“ It was easy enough to get along while there was 
money in the till,” he said, smiling at her sadly, “ and 
one did not trouble much then. But the quarter’s 
rent is due soon, and there is very little to pay it with, 
Childie. I have been thoughtless and selfish. There 
is nothing easier in the whole world than to be 
selfish. Kiss me again, Childie, and tell me that 


16 


LITTLE ROSEBUD. 


you do not love me any the less because I have been 
selfish.’’ 

‘‘ Why, grand-dad,” she said, as she kissed him lov- 
ingly, “ it has not been your fault if people have not 
come to buy our books. And every one says trade is 
bad, you know. I went in to look at the birds in Mr. 
Jones’s shop, and he told me he had not sold a single 
one during the last few days. I felt sorry for him, 
for he is very kind, although he has got a red nose. 
And what a red nose it is, to be sure, grand-dad ! 
But he was not in the dumps. He said to me : ‘ Look 
you. Rosebud child, things will take a turn.’ He is 
always saying this to me ; and fancy, grand-dad, he has 
taught that parrot of his to say : ‘ Things will take 
a turn.’ We must say it, and believe it, too. Do you 
hear, grand-dad ? ” 

“ Yes, Childie,” he answered, smiling. “ Now I am 
going out to try and get together some money which 
has been owing me a long time. It is not much, but 
it is better than nothing. You mind the shop, — you 
and Jane Eyre and Robinson Crusoe. There will not 
be a great deal for you to do,” he added, with a sigh ; 
“ no one is likely to come.” 

Quick as thought she fetched him his rusty hat, 
and his stick, and his horrid little snuff-box ; and off 
he started on his journey. 

“ Oh,” she said to herself, as she stood at the shop 
door, watching that dear bent figure trudging wearily 
along, if I could only sell a book whilst he is away, 
how glad and proud I should be ! ” 


THE OLD BOOK- SHOP. 


17 


And the tears darted to her eyes ; but she brushed 
them hastily from her face, for she heard the parrot 
over the way screeching : “ Things will take a turn ! 
Things will take a turn!” And Mr. Jones, the 



happy possessor of the red nose and the bird-shop, 
seeing his little friend at the door, crossed over the 
road to speak with her. 

‘‘ Good-morning, Rosebud,” he said, gently. “ How’s 
yourself ? ” 


18 


LITTLE ROSEBUD. 


“ Quite well, thank you, Mr. Jones,’’ she answered, 
smiling. “ And you ? ” 

“ Fust-rate,” he answered. ‘‘ Last night I sold a 
pair of Norwich canaries and a bishop, — you know 
that fat, sleek fellow with a yellow crest. And I tell 
you. Rosebud child, them bishop birds bring in a sight 
of money, they do. I should like to sell a dozen or 
two every jolly morning. But upon my soul, littl’un, 
prosperity is peeping around the corner. Time it 
should, too. And how’s the grand-dad?” 

“ Oh, pretty well,” she said. “ He has gone out 
and left me in charge.” 

“ And ain’t you just proud ? ” he said, looking- 
kindly at her. “ Fancy you being left in charge, — a 
bit of a bird like you ! IVhy, if I had you in a cage 
with some fine feathers on. I’d make a bet you’d fetch 
more than a Norwich canary, or a weaver, or a bishop, 
or a pope, or a piping bullfinch, or a Yirginian night- 
ingale, or all of them put together.” 

“ Mr. Jones,” she said, “ your sleeve is torn. Per- 
haps you had better wait while I mend it.” 

“ Thank you, hearty,” he said, as he sank into 
grand-dad’s chair at the back of the tiny counter ; 
“this ain’t the first piece of stitching you’ve done 
for me, is it? You’re fond of your needle, ain’t 
you? And you’re fond of me, too, in a sort of a 
way?” 

“ Of course I am fond of you,” she said, laughing. 
“ We are fond of all those who are kind to us.” 

“Are we now?” remarked Mr. Jones. “Well, I 


THE OLD BOOK- SHOP. 


19 


suppose you ought to know, as you have read a whole 
sight of books ; but all I know is that many folk has 
been kind to me in my life, and I’m blest if I’ve been 
fond of them, or grateful to them for the matter of 
that ! ” 



What a horrible person you must really be ! ” 
said Rosebud, putting down his coat and looking up 
at him. 

‘‘ That may be,” he laughed, “ but I ain’t no excep- 
tion. Why, your little fingers have been quick ! 


20 


LITTLE ROSEBUD. 


Thank you kindly, i say, Rosebud child, do the 
dolls like chocolate or toffee best?” 

“They have not a sweet tooth,” she said, as she 
helped him on with his coat, and watched him gazing 
admiringly at her work. “ In fact, Mr. Jones, if you 
look at Jane Eyre and Robinson Crusoe, you’ll find 
they have not any teeth at all.” 

“ Then I’m blessed if soup ain’t the best thing for 
them to have ! ” he answered. “ But what can you 
expect at their time of life ? They look as if they’d 
come out of the ark, they do.” 

“ They are not as young as they might be, Mr. 
Jones,” she laughed ; “ but they are none the worse 
for that.” 

“ That’s right, missy,” he replied ; “ always speak 
up for your friends.” 

And having wished her good luck for the morning, 
and bestowed a patronising pat on the heads of Jane 
Eyre and Mr. Crusoe, who were looking rather sulky 
at his rude remarks about them, Mr. Jones took his 
departure to his place of business over the other side 
of the road. And Childie set to work to dust the 
second-hand books. 

She tried to be kind and just to them all, but it 
was very hard to take any interest in those disagree- 
able, dull school-books. She could not get up any 
enthusiasm for “ Cornwell’s Geography ” and “ Mang- 
nall’s Questions ” and Mrs. Markham’s “ History of 
England,” but she did her duty by them. 

And all the time she was thinking how proud she 


THE OLD BOOK- SnOP. 


21 


should be it only she had some money to show grand- 
dad on his return. And the dear little fair face, 
which had brightened up at Mr. Jones’s visit, became 
once more sad and anxious, — very anxious. 

“ Are all people anxious ? ” she thought to herself. 



as she sat down on her stool, and rested her elbows 
on her knees, and stared at the bookshelves. I 
wonder whether the people who write books are as 
worried as the people who try to sell them and can’t. 
Oh, if I were only grown-up, and could work for 
grand-dad ! He should read all day, and never have 
any worries. And I’d buy him a new snuff-box and 



22 


LITTLE BOSEBUD. 


a new velvet skull-cap to keep the cold off his dear 
head. And he’d look so nice in it, too, for grand-dad 
is handsome ; I think he is quite a picture. But he 
is old now, and he has no one to love him but me. 



and I am not really old enough to take care of him 
properly. If one could only become old in a day, or 
a week, or even a year ! It seems to take such a long 
time.” 

Then she closed her eyes and smiled happily ; for 


THE OLE BOOK- SHOP. 


28 


it was pleasant to make plans, and her little head was 
full of schemes and ideas, — all for grand-dad, not for 
herself, not even for Jane Eyre and Robinson Crusoe. 

Suddenly she heard a footstep, and, looking up, saw 
a very tall gentleman standing just inside the door. 
The colour flushed to her cheeks, and her heart beat 
excitedly, for here, in very truth, was a real customer. 

“ Is there any one to serve me ? ” he said, kindly, 
bending down to her. He had such a way to bend ! 

“ If you please, sir,” she said, timidly, “ I will serve 
you.” 


CHAPTER IT. 


rosebud’s new friend. 

“A70U will serve me?’^ said the tall gentleman, 
A smiling somewhat incredulously. “ Well, little 
girl, I must tell you that I have been looking every- 
where for a particular volume to complete a certain 
edition of Caesar’s works. I suppose you do not 
happen to know who Caesar was ? ” 

“ Oh, yes,” she answered, “ of course I do. He 
crossed the Rubicon. Grand-dad taught me all about 
him ; and then I’ve read, you know. Here’s where 
we keep his works.” 

And she pointed to the topmost shelf. 

“ I’m sorry I can’t reach,” she said, looking at him 
mournfully. “ It seems very rude of me to ask you 
to look yourself. But if I had the ladder I would 
get up at once. Only I cannot carry the ladder my- 
self. Grand-dad generally carries it, and then I hold 
it while he mounts it. But he is old now, and I am 
always fearful lest he should tumble.” 

The tall gentleman — whose name, by the way, 
was Mr. Highton — stared in amused astonishment at 
this quaint little shopkeeper. He was quite pleased 
with her manner and her appearance. 

24 


ROSEBUD^ S NEW FRIEND. 


25 


“And so you know who Caesar is?” he said. 
“ Well, that is more than my little girl knows. Poor 
little girl ! And she is jiist about your age, too ; only 
she cannot run about, and mount ladders as you do. 
She lies on a sofa all through the long day, which is 
very long for her sometimes.” 

“ I’m sorry,” said Childie, softly ; and the tears 
came into her eyes. She had such a sympathetic 
heart. 

“ Then you must be sad, sir,” she said. 

“ Yes,” he answered ; “ I am very often sad.” And 
he sighed. “ Well, now for the book,” he added. 
“We can very well do without the ladder, for I can 
reach the top shelf with the aid of that footstool.” 

Childie waited in breathless anxiety whilst he 
examined every book on the shelf. Oh, how she 
hoped it would be there ! 

“ It isn’t here,” he said. “ I am disappointed.” 

And he took his handkerchief from his pocket and 
rubbed the dust off his hands. He looked rather 
cross, too. I suppose he did not like dust; some 
people don’t. 

Childie’s face fell. She was also disappointed. 

“ If you please, sir,” she said, pleadingly, “ it may 
be on this shelf, or amongst that heap of books. 
Will you take grand-dad’s seat, sir, whilst I look ? ” 

But the book was nowhere to be found. They 
both searched for it diligently ; and it was really quite 
funny to see Mr. Dighton kneeling on the ground and 
diving amongst the miscellaneous volumes. 


26 


LITTLE jROSEBUD. 


It is of no use,” he said, standing up again. “ 1 
might have known that I should not find it here.” 

Childie’s courage had gradually been failing her, 
and now, overcome with excitement, anxiety, and 
disappointment, she burst into tears, and cried as 
though her heart would break. 

“ Please, sir,” she sobbed, “ forgive me ; but I did 
so hope to sell a book as a surprise for grand-dad. 
No one buys books from us now. And trade is very 
bad, and things don’t seem to take a turn, although 
the parrot over the way says they will. And when 
you came in I was so proud and glad, because grand- 
dad has left me in charge ; and you are the first 
customer we’ve had for a very long time. And now 
you can’t find what you want.” 

She looked such a poor, sad little lass, that all his 
kindly pity rose up in his heart. 

He took her hand and put it into his own great, 
big hands, and told her not to cry her blue eyes away, 
for he wanted another book, which would do just as 
well ; and he pounced upon the first he came to, — it 
happened to be Hangnail’s Questions,” price nine- 
pence, — and he put a bright, shining sovereign on 
the .counter, and told her to keep it all for herself 
and grand-dad. 

She smiled through her tears. 

‘‘ How good you are ! ” she said, looking up at 
him. ‘‘ Only I don’t think I ought to take it 
from you. ‘ Hangnail’s Questions ’ is only nine- 
pence.” 



“ CHILDIE WAITED IN BREATHLESS ANXIETY WHILST HE 
EXAMINED EVERY BOOK.” 






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a. 


ROSEBUD'S NEW FRIEND. 


29 


1 am quite sure you ought to take it from me,” 
he said, kindly, as he put the shabby little book into 
his pocket; for he did not wish to hurt her feelings 
by not taking it away. “ Do you know, I should be 
ever so angry if you did not keep that gold piece. 
Why, look at it. It is a jubilee sovereign, quite new 
and spruce, and will bring you good luck. Yes, I am 
quite sure it will bring you good luck. Now, tell me 
your name, little girl ? ” 

“ If you please, sir,” she said, ‘‘ my name is Rose ; 
but grand-dad calls me Childie, and Mr. Jones calls 
me Rosebud.” 

“ Mr. Jones has very good taste,” said Mr. Dighton. 
“ And who may he be ? ” 

“ If you please, sir,” she answered, “ Mr. Jones is 
the bird-fancier over the way. Oh ! he has such beau- 
tiful birds ; only trade is bad with him, too. But he 
has harder times than we have ; for birds want feed- 
ing, don’t they ? and books only want dusting. There 
is Mr. Jones at his shop window. Won’t he be just 
glad to sec that I have got a real customer ! ” 

“ A real customer ! ” laughed Mr. Dighton. “ Not 
wax-work, like your poor old dolls. What learned- 
looking dolls they are, too ! Do they know about 
Caesar crossing the Rubicon ? ” 

Childie laughed merrily. 

Perhaps they do,” she said ; “ only they never tell 
me what they know. But I’ve read such a lot to them 
that I think they can’t be altogether stupid ! ” 

‘‘ Well, little Rosebud,” said the tall gentleman. 


30 


LITTLE nOSEBUI). 


stooping down and holding out his hand to her, ‘‘ 1 
must be going home now to my little girl. I shall 
tell her about you. Perhaps you would like to come 
and read to her, and help her to spend part of the 
long day. Somehow or other I don’t think she w^ould 
find it at all sad and wearisome when you were with 
her. You would be kind to her, wouldn’t you, and 
patient and gentle ? ” 

‘‘ Indeed, sir,” said Childie, earnestly, ‘‘ I would try 
to be so.” 

“ Then tell grand-dad,” he said, “ that I shall come 
in to-morrow, and speak with him myself. Good-bye, 
Rosebud. Mind, now, there must not be any more 
tears in those blue eyes.” 

And he put up his finger as though in solemn warn- 
ing, and left Childie staring after him in bewilder- 
ment. 

How kind he is ! ” she thought. “ It is a long 
way to look up to his face ; but when you once get 
there, what a kind, good face it is ! And how sad he 
looked when he spoke of his little girl! I shall never 
forget him.” 

And she sat down on her stool, and began to put a 
brown paper cover on a miserable, tattered book. 
But the work did not get on very quickly, for I fancy 
Rosebud was thinking that if people did not have one 
kind of anxiety, they had another. 

‘‘ Perhaps the tall gentleman does not have to 
trouble about customers,” she thought ; “ but then he 
must always be sad about his little girl.” 


BOSEBUD'S NEW FRIEND. 


31 


Then she looked at the bright sovereign, and re- 
membered how pleased and surprised grand-dad would 
be when he came home and heard all the wonderful 
news she had to tell him ; and her little face shone 
with June sunshine. 

And she sang a snatch of melody, something about 
the trees and the birds and the flowers. One always 
sings of them when one is happy. 

Suddenly a voice, not so melodious as hers, called 
out : 

“ Bless me. Rosebud child ! if that ain’t a more 
lovely noise than any my birds could make ! Why 
weren’t you a Norwich canary or a Virginian nightin- 
gale ? You’d just make my fortune, — at a handy 
time, too ! ” 

“ Oh, Mr. Jones ! you did startle me,” she said, 
laughing. ‘‘ I’ve such a lot to tell you. The parrot 
is quite right, for things will take a turn, I am 
sure.” 

‘‘ Of course they will. Birdie,” he said, cheerily. 
“ And meantime do you take this ’ere soup, or else I 
shall drop it. It’s for them toothless dolls of yours ; 
but, supposing they ain’t got no appetites, then I 
guess you and your grand-dad had best make away 
with it. And as soup ain’t good without fresh rolls, 
so please you, littl’un, I’ve brought some fresh 
rolls. Trade is reviving. Rosebud, and so is soup 
and rolls.” 

“ You are very good,” she said, gratefully. “ Jane 
Eyre and Robinson Crusoe can’t thank you, but I 


32 


LITTLE BOSEBUB. 


thank you, Mr. Jones. You are always being kind to 
me.” 

“Tut, tut!” he answered. “You must run 



over and tell me about the tall customer. Oh, 
there’s some one going into my shop ! I’m off, 
littl’un.” 

“ That soup and them rolls will do her good,” he 
said to himself as he went back to his shop. “ She 


ROSEBUD^ S NEW FRIEND. 


33 


don’t look particular strong, dear little lassie ; and 
I’m thinking people don’t grow up hearty in fusty 
old book-shops. Never a day goes by that the sight 
of that littl’un don’t do me good. Bless her 
heart ! ” 


CHAPTER III. 


ROSEBUD PREPARES FOR HIGH LIFE. 

RAND-DAD had not been successful in getting 



any money together. Some people, you know, 
do not trouble in the very least about paying their 
debts ; and it is a cruel and hard thing when the poor 
have to wait a weary long time before they can get 
paid for their work. Poor dressmakers complain 
bitterly about the grand ladies who give them their 
satins and silks to make, and expect the dresses to be 
ready in less than no time ; but they are quite sur- 
prised if they are expected to pay in less than no 
time. And they often let whole weeks pass by with- 
out giving a thought to the little scrawly bill waiting 
so patiently to be noticed. And it would be nothing 
to them to take out their purses and pay at once. 
Nothing prevents them except thoughtlessness and 
selfishness. 

However this may all be, grand-dad came home 
tired and disappointed. He was chiefly anxious about 
the child, for he really did not care about himself. 

‘‘ What is to become of her,” he thought, “ when 
the money has all been spent, and there is nothing 
more coming in ? ” 

No wonder that grand-dad’s heart was heavy, and 
his footstep weary. 


34 


ROSEBUD PREPARES FOR HIGH LIFE. 35 


There was no one in the shop. He sank down into 
his chair behind the counter, and took from his pocket 
his red cotton handkerchief, which he passed over his 
burning forehead. Then he pulled out his horrid 
little snuff-box, and refreshed himself with a pinch 
of snuff. Childie did not like snuff, and always con- 
gratulated Robinson Crusoe on the fact that he did 
not care about it. 

“ I shall be quite content, Crusoe,” she used to say 
to him in private, “ if you take grand-dad as your 
model in everything except his love for snuff. Do 
you hear ? ” 

I don’t know whether he heard, but he certainly 
heeded, for he was a total abstainer from snuff ! 

Grand-dad then sneezed several times, and then 
took off his goggle-eyed spectacles and rubbed them 
with the corner of his red cotton handkerchief. Hav- 
ing made them clean and clear he put them on again, 
about half-way down his nose. It was always a puz- 
zle to Childie why he should look over his spectacles 
and not through them. Sometimes, though, he did 
not wear them at all, but closed his right eye with 
the second finger of his right hand and read with his 
left eye. This puzzled Childie, too; she thought it 
rather hard on that left eye. 

“ Use both your eyes when you read, Robinson 
Crusoe,” she said to him. “ I prefer it.” 

Childie was strict in her own little quiet way. 
She would have made an excellent schoolmistress. 

But to-day grand-dad did not read. He looked 


36 


LITTLE ROSEBUD. 


mournfully at the second-hand books, and for the 
first time in his life wished they were all brand-new, 
uncut, and sprucely dressed, because then he would 
have a chance of selling them. He had rather de- 



spised new books ; but this morning he had been gazing 
into a grand shop of every kind of book, — large, small, 
and medium, good, bad, and indifferent, but fresh 
and new and beautiful ; and he saw so many people 
going in and coming out again with parcels in their 
hands, that he quite longed to be the lucky possessor 
of that -shop : just for Childie’s sake, not for his own. 


BOSEBUD PREPARES FOR HIGH LIFE. 37 


“Just for Childie’s sake!” he murmured to him- 
self as he took off his boots and thrust his tired old 
feet into his slippers. 

And at that moment she came into the shop. 

“ What luck, grand-dad ?” she said, cheerily. 

“None for us, child,” he answered, sadly. 

“ Ah, you mustn’t say that, dear ! ” she said, pick- 
ing up the red cotton handkerchief, which had fallen 
to the ground, and putting it into his pocket, as though 
she were his little mother. “ You mustn’t say that, 
for I’ve had a real customer, and I’ve a real sovereign 
to give you ; and here it is, grand-dad. So don’t ever 
tell me that I can’t keep shop well ! ” 

“ What book have you sold, child ? ” he asked, look- 
ing at her wonderingly. 

“ ‘ Mangnall’s Questions,’ ” she answered, laughing. 
“ What do you think of that ? ” 

And then she told him the whole story of the tall 
gentleman’s visit, and she begged that he would allow 
her to go and read to the little invalid girl. 

“ Of course you shall go, Childie,” he said, lovingly. 
“ And well might that gentleman wish to have you read 
to his little daughter. Where could one hope to find 
a dearer, sweeter little girl-flower than my Rosebud ? ” 

And off they went, hand in hand, to the back-room, 
to enjoy Mr. Jones’s soup and fresh rolls, which Jane 
Eyre and Robinson Crusoe had declined with thanks. 

About twelve o’clock the following morning the tall 
gentleman called in to see old David Burnley. Childie 
was not there at the time. 


38 


LITTLE ROSEBUD. 


“ Your granddaiigh ter pleased me mightily yester- 
day,” he said, kindly, “ and I have taken quite a fancy 
to her. She s[)eaks beautifully. You have indeed 
taught her well. Now, I should like her to come and 
see my little girl, who 1 am sure will be kind to her. 
My little girl, you know, is an invalid ; a motherless 
invalid. And she cannot read a great deal, for her 
eyes are weak. And she docs not care about all chil- 
dren, but I think she would be fond of your little Rose- 
bud. And Rosebud could read to her, and be her 
companion for part of the day. I am sure your little 
granddaughter would be proud to earn some money. 
And you would let her come, wouldn’t you ? ” 

You are very good, sir,” said the old man, gently. 
‘‘ Of course I would let her come.” 

‘‘ Just for part of the day,” continued Mr. Dighton. 
“ Ah, here is the little woman,” he added, as Childie 
came into the shop. ‘‘ You see, I have not forgotten 
you, have I ? ” 

And grand-dad was quite touched to see how kindly 
he greeted Childie, stooping down and taking her 
hand and speaking to her so freely and gently. As 
for Rosebud herself, it seemed to her the most natural 
thing in the world to see her tall friend again, and 
hear his kind, fresh voice ; and she chattered away to 
him as if she had known him all her life. 

“ 1 have just been to look at Mr. Jones’s new bull- 
finch,” she confided to him. ‘‘ I wonder what you’d 
think of it. Now, I think it’s a beauty, and it pipes 
such pretty tunes.” 


ROSEBUD PREPARES FOR TIIGTI LIFE. 39 


“ Indeed,” he said, smiling at her. “ And do you 
know as much about birds as you do about books ?” 

She laughed. 

‘‘ Oh,” she answered, “ I only know what Mr. Jones 
tells me. And then one can’t help learning a little 
when one sees all the birds, can one ? But sometimes 
1 think it is very cruel to keep them shut up in those 
tiny cages. But, do you know, Mr. Jones has often 
put them in bigger cages just to please me. Isn’t 
that nice of him ? He laughs at me when I ask him ; 
but he never refuses me. Oh, I remember he was a 
little cross once. But then he had the toothache 
dreadfully; and one can’t feel very kind when one 
has the toothache, can one ? ” 

“ Certainly not,” he replied. ‘‘ Well, you must take 
me to see your friend Mr. Jones one day, when he 
has not got the toothache. I should not like him to 
be cross with me.” 

“ As if any one could be cross with you, sir ! ” she 
said, eagerly. “ I am sure I couldn’t if I tried all the 
day long.” 

“ That’s all right,” he said, laughing. ‘‘ I hope you 
will always say that. Good gracious ! I’ve been 
treading on your doll, and I’ve broken its right arm ! 
What will you say to me now ? ” 

He stooped down and picked up poor Robinson 
Crusoe, who probably would have groaned if he could ; 
for it is not a particularly pleasant thing to have a 
crushed arm ! 

Childie was certainly rather heartless this morning. 


40 


LITTLE ROSEBUD. 


for she giggled and seemed immensely amused; and 
even grand-dad laughed to see the tall gentleman hold- 
ing the wounded doll in his hand, and looking the 
picture of penitence and misery. 



“ What will you say to me now ? ” he asked again. 
‘‘ Won’t you feel angry with me, now ?” 

‘‘No,” she laughed; “it is all Crusoe’s fault for 
sprawling about on the ground. And it doesn’t mat- 


ROSEBUD PREPARES FOR HIGH LIFE. 41 


ter much whether he has one or two arms ; he never 
does any work, you know.” 

She took the doll from Mr. Dighton and put it 
safely on the counter ; but although she laughed and 
smiled, I think in her heart of hearts she was really 
sorry. But she was not going to let him see that; 
for he had been kind to her, and she was grateful to 
him. 

He stopped a few minutes longer, arranging with 
grand-dad that she should come to his house on the 
morrow and see his little girl, and then he asked 
about trade, and seemed sorry to hear that things 
were so bad. 

“ But you must cheer up,” he said, kindly. “ By 
the way, about that book. Suppose you try and get 
it for me. And I daresay I shall be asking you to 
look out for several other books for me. I cannot 
spare the time just at present, and shall be glad of 
your help. And I’ll pay you generously ; be sure 
of that.” 

Grand-dad’s face brightened up with hope and 
happiness. 

“ Thank you, sir,” he murmured. “ Ho you know, 
you have come to us just when we wanted help. You 
have given me back strength and hope. God bless 
you.” 

Then Mr. Dighton turned to Childie, pointed to 
Robinson Crusoe mournfully, and said : 

“ And you really forgive me, little one, for having 
squashed that poor doll’s right arm ? ” 


42 


LITTLE nOSEBUI). 


“ Yes, indeed ! ” she answered, eagerly. 

“ Ah,” he said, as he was leaving the shop, “ I ex- 
pect my little girl will scold me when she hears what 
mischief I have been doing.” 

“ Don’t tell her,” said Childie ; “ and I won’t tell 
her either. Let it be a secret between ourselves.” 

But he shook his head. 

‘‘ It’s of no use,” he replied, solemnly. “ My little 
girl guesses all my secrets. Good-bye, Rosebud. My 
housekeeper shall come and fetch you to-morrow.” 
And he hailed a hansom cab and drove to his beauti- 
ful house in Grosvenor Square, all the time thinking 
to himself what a lucky chance it was that took 
him to the second-hand book-shop. 

“ That child will please my little Violet,” he said 
to himself. “ She is quaint and gentle ; and if ever 
there was a little lady, she is one. Her clothes are 
poor and shabby, but they are quite neat. And that 
white apron she wears is spotless. And what a little 
mother she seems to be to that scholarly, worn-out 
old grandfather of hers. How pleased she was to see 
him smile and look happy when I spoke to him of 
work. Fancy me now hunting about for a wretched 
old second-hand book and finding instead a deal* little 
Rosebud. Who would have thought it ? " 

Childie meanwhile put her stool near grand-dad’s 
arm-chair behind the counter, pulled out her sewing, 
and began to work diligently. 

“ Only think, grand-dad,” she said, “ I shall be able 
to earn a little money for you before I am grown-up ! 


ROSEBUD PREPARES FOR HIGH LIFE. 43 


I always thought people had to wait until they were 
grown-up before they could be of any use to those 
they loved.” 

u Why, Childie,” he said, lovingly, as he lit his pipe 
(for she had been out to get him a little tobacco for a 
treat) ; “ why, Childie, you have been of use to me 
ever since you were born. You have loved me.” 

“ Is that being useful ? ” she asked, opening her 
blue eyes wide. 

“ Of course it is,” answered her grandfather. ‘‘ It 
is everything.” 

In the course of the afternoon Childie ran over to 
Mr. Jones’s, just to tell him about the tall gentle- 
man’s visit, and to have another look at the piping 
bullfinch. 

“ And so you’re going to that grand gentleman’s 
house ? ” said Mr. Jones, who was mixing seed for the 
birds. ‘‘ I don’t suppose you’ll want to come and see 
the old bird-fancier when you’ve got them new swell 
friends of yours ? ” 

“ What a horrid thing to say, Mr. Jones ! ” an- 
swered Childie, reproachfully ; but seeing that there 
was a smile on his face, she added : 

‘‘ There, I knew you did not mean it ! What a 
tease you are, Mr. Jones ! Do you know, my tall 
gentleman is coming to see you one day when you are 
not feeling cross. You will let him look at your 
birds, won’t you, Mr. Jones, as he is my friend ? ” 

“ Delighted ! ” replied the gentleman of the red 
nose. “ Any time he likes to come I shall be ready to 


44 


LITTLE ROSEBUD. 


say a civil word to him. So now you know. And 
what I say I mean. Don’t I, littrim ? ” 

“ Yes, Mr. Jones,” she answered. “ But you’re 
spilling a lot of that seed. Mayn’t I help you ? And 



oh, do let me give Bully a hemp seed, — just one, Mr. 
Jones ! ” 

You’ll spoil that ’ere bird,” said Mr. Jones, put- 
ting a few hemp seeds into Childie’s little hand. “ Too 


BOSEBUD PBEPABES FOB HIGH LIFE. 45 


many hemp seeds is as bad for them birds as too 
much beer or sweet stuif is bad for you and me.” 

“ Look here, Rosebud,” he said, when she had 
finished feeding the bullfinch, “ what I say I mean, 
don’t I ? And this is what I say : You always look a 
little dear; but I want you to look quite spruce to- 
morrow, for my own honour, you know, and for grand- 
dad’s too. I’ve found a few shillings tucked away in 
a seed-tin. Bless me, I was just surprised to find 
them yesterday ! And I said to myself, I’m smashed 
if these sha’n’t go to buy something fine for my little 
Rosebud. Grand-dad don’t think of these things ; he 
don’t notice. But I notice, bless your heart ! I look 
to the fashings. And I’ve seen a sweet tidy cape as 
you must have. Tut, tut, not a word ! I’ll get old 
John next door to mind the shop for a half hour ; and 
you and I, we’ll just go and buy that sweet pretty 
thing. Grosvenor Square, indeed ! — that’s where 
you’re going to ! We’ll teach Grosvenor Square how 
to look ! And what do you say to a wee rosebud in 
your hat, littl’un, just to make it spruce and gay ?” 

Childie clapped her hands with delight; for, like 
all of us, she was fond of a little bit of finery. 

“Only, Mr. Jones,” she said, “you ought to spend 
this money on yourself, for you sadly want a new 
hat.” 

“ A new hat ! ” he said, laughing. “ Why, Rosebud, 
what are you thinking about? That hat of mine 
hanging on that peg ain’t more than four year old 
come September. When it’s ten year old, then I shall 


40 


LITTLE ROSEBUD. 


think it wants cleaning up or seeing to a bit. Come 
along. How that parrot do screech to-day ! Folks 
say the book business makes one’s eyes bad ; but deary 
me, the bird business does try one’s ears ! ” 

They called next door, and asked old John to look 
after the shop for a short time; and then Mr. Jones, 
taking Childie’s hand, plunged into the linen-draper’s 
a few yards down the street. 

“ That’s the article,” he said, pointing to a little 
black cape. “ What do you think of that, Childie ?” 

“Oh, it’s beautiful, Mr. Jones,” she said, admir- 
ingly. “ Only it is much too good for me.” 

“ Tut, tut ! ” he replied. 

And he bought it then and there, and made her 
put it on at once that he might see how she looked 
in it. 

“ Fust-rate ! ” he said, smiling proudly. 

And then they bought a little pink rosebud and a 
pair of gray cotton gloves, and, armed with these 
wonderful purchases, went back to the bird-shop. 

“ Don’t you say anything to grand-dad,” he said, 
as he stooped down and kissed her very gently ; “ but 
just you put them fineries on to-morrow and see if he 
notices. Maybe he won’t notice. But there, there ! 
his eyesight is awful bad, you know. And we can’t 
all notice the same things, can we ? Why, you know 
1 don’t ever take any heed of them seedy-looking 
books of yours.” 

Childie thanked him many times for his beautiful 
presents, and went home to grand-dad to get his tea 


ROSEBUD PREPARES FOR HIGH LIFE. 47 


ready. She found him in excellent spirits ; for he 
had three customers, one after the other. 

“ It certainly does look as if things were taking a 
turn, Child ie,” he said, smiling brightly at her. “ And 
it is all through Childie. I am sure of that.’’ 





CHAPTER lY. 


MR. DIGHTON’s housekeeper. 

ITTLE Violet Dighton lay on the sofa in her 



-L' beautiful sitting-room, waiting for her father’s 
return home from his visit to the second-hand book- 
seller’s shop. She was fair-haired and fair-complex- 
ioned ; her face was thin and pain-weary, and she was 
slight of form and figure. She wore a pretty blue- 
coloured silk frock, with a yellow sash around it, and 
some soft lace at the neck. Her hands were very 
thin. She had a little gold ring with a pearl in it, on 
the third finger of her I'ight hand. She had been 
doing some fancy crotchet-work ; but I suppose she 
was tired, for she had let it fall to the ground, and a 
handsome Persian cat was making sport with the 
ball. Perhaps that cat knew that Violet could not 
jump up and run after him ! 

No, she could not jump up. In the morning she 
was lifted very gently on to the sofa by the window, 
and there she stayed all the day long. She was an 
odd little lady ; she could have had many companions, 
for people wished to be kind, but she did not care 
about them all. She liked best to have her father 
with her, and was quite happy for the whole day if 


MB. DIGHTON^S HOUSEKEEPER. 


49 


he had found time to spend an hour with her. The 
whole house was beautiful, but her room was full of 
wonderful treasures. The walls were hung with pic- 
tures ; and there were all kinds of books and engrav- 
in«-s on the table near her, and lovely vases with fresh 
flowers in them, and plants here and there and 



everywhere. At least she had much to look at as 
she lay on her sofa, and Mr. Dighton seldom came 
home without bringing her something to please her ; 
a sweet flower, or perhaps a little scented bag, or a 
new puzzle ; she was fond of puzzles and nearly 
always made them out ; and sometimes a new picture 
would be brought in mysteriously, and he would pre- 


50 


LITTLE ROSEBUD. 


tend to know nothing at all about it, when, to tell you 
the truth, he had spent ever so long in choosing it. 

He would have wished above all things to give her 
health, but he could not do that. It was sad to think 
that she had everything she could possibly wish for 
except health. 

She was very anxious to see the little girl of whom 
her father had spoken so much. She was quite fear- 
ful lest the old grandfather should not allow Rosebud 
to come and see her ; and so you can imagine how 
pleased she was when her father came home and told 
her that he had arranged for Mrs. White, the house- 
keeper, to go and fetch Rosebud at ten o’clock on the 
morrow. 

‘‘You always say that you are best pleased when I 
bring you flowers, Yiolet,” said Mr. Dighton, as he put 
a beautiful orchid into a little vase on the table by 
the sofa ; “ and I am sure you will like to have the 
little Rosebud : a little human flower.” 

“ Now, what do you think I have been doing this 
morning? — I have broken that child’s doll. So I 
went into a doll-shop, and I’ve bought this concern. 
And you must give it to her to-morrow. Is it a nice 
one, Violet ?” 

“ A beauty ! ” she answered, looking at it admir- 
ingly. “ How pleased Rosebud will be ! Only it has 
not got a very nice hat on. 1 think I must make it a 
new one.” 

She set to Avork diligently, and turned out a Av^on- 
derful thing for the doll’s head ; and when Mrs. 


MR. DIGHTON'S HOUSEKEEPER. 51 

White, the housekeeper, saw it, she declared, solemnly, 
that a court milliner could not have done it better. 

Mrs. White started about half past nine the next 
morning to go to old David Burnley’s shop. Between 
you and me, she did not quite like the notion of “ this 
chit of a child ” coming to the house. 

“ Master has such odd ideas,” she said to herself as 
she rolled along, for she was rather a stout personage. 
“ Miss Violet is going on very nicely by herself, and 
doesn’t want any strange body coming to worry her. 
Deary me ! what a narrow street to live in ! ” 

I should tell you that years ago Mrs. White had 
lived in a far narrower street than Childie’s; but it 
was so long ago that she had quite forgotten. People 
do forget, you know ! 

She had quite determined to be very stern and 
patronising and haughty to the “ chit; ” and she was 
almost glad she had a cough, because a certain kind 
of cough is very awe-inspiring ; and she wished to 
impress Rosebud with a proper sense of her impor- 
tance. She was dressed in black, and wore a wonder- 
ful black bonnet, with a terrifying violet tuft on the 
top. Her face was broad and flabby, but not unkind- 
looking, and she had a soft old heart beneath her 
heavy mantle. 

She stopped before the second-hand book-shop and 
looked in. There was no one there except a little 
girl dressed in a gray frock, a black hat, with a tiny 
pink rosebud in it, and a neat little cross-over cape. 

It was rather a warm morning, and Mrs. White was 


52 


LITTLE BOSE BUD. 


somewhat out of breath. Childie saw this, and fetched 
a chair, into which the old lady sank with evident 
satisfaction. 

“ Thank you, deary,” she said, between her pants, 
forgetting all about her resolution to be stern and 
haughty and patronising. In fact, one can’t be very 
haughty when one is out of breath, can one ? 

‘‘ 1 suppose, now, you are little Rose Burnley, whom 
I’ve come to fetch ?” she asked. 

“ Yes, if you please,” said Childie. 

“ Well, you’ve made yourself very neat and tidy,” 
said Mrs. White, looking at her with approval. 

“ She’s always neat and tidy,” said a harsh voice. 

Mrs. White turned her face to the shop door and 
saw a red-nosed individual standing on the step. 

“ Is this your grandfather ? ” she asked, rather 
stiffly. 

‘‘ No,” answered Childie, going up to the red-nosed 
individual and putting her hand in his. “ This is my 
friend, Mr. Jones.” 

“ Pleased to make your acquaintance, ma’am,” said 
Mr. Jones, bowing most courteously, and removing 
his shabby hat from his bald head. “ So you are going 
to march our little Rosebud off with you. Ah I well, 
ma’am. I’m sure you’ll take care of her. Good-bye, 
Rosebud child. I just popped in to see how them ’ere 
fineries sat on you, and my word, they do look nice ! 
I’m just as proud as I am when any of my bonny 
birds have got their new feathers on. Bless me, what 
a little spruce thing it is, to be sure I ” 


MB. BIGHTON'S HOUSEKEEPER. 


53 


And he went away grinning with pleasure. 

Then Childie came nearer to Mrs. White and said, 
earnestly : 

“ He is so kind to me, dear good Mr. Jones. Don’t 



you think, ma’am, that there are a great many kind 
and good people in the world ? ” 

“Perhaps there are,” replied Mrs. White, leaving 
off fanning herself with her handkerchief, and staring 
curiously at the odd little girl, whose manner was full 
of trust and confidence. 


54 


LITTLE ROSEBUD. 


“Do you know,” continued Childie, “Mr. Jones is 
only cross when he has toothache. Do you ever 
have toothache, ma’am ? I know a wonderful cure 
which Mr. Jones uses.” 

“ No, child. I’m not troubled with it,” said Mrs. 
White, who had a complete set of false teeth. (But 
that’s a secret between you and me !) 

“ I’m glad of that,” answered Childie, smiling ; “ for 
it is dreadful to think of people suffering pain. Please, 
ma’am, does the little lady suffer much pain ? ” 

“ Sometimes,” said Mrs. White, gently. ‘‘ Come, 
we must go to her. I am rested now.” 

“ You still look very hot and tired,” said Childie, 
in her own little motherly way. “ Supposing I fan 
you?” 

And taking a newspaper from the counter, Childie 
steadily waved it to and fro, and hot Mrs. White 
smiled and closed her eyes, enjoying the cool breeze, 
and pleased with Rosebud’s thoughtfulness. 

“ Why, I declare you’re quite a little mother,” she 
said, kindly, drawing the child near to her and 
kissing her. “We must be great friends, mustn’t 
we?” 

“ If you please, ma’am,” answered Childie, “ I should 
like to be friends with you.” 

“And so you shall,” replied Mrs. White, rising from 
her chair and surveying the books. 

“ If you are really going, ma’am,” said Childie, “ I 
must call grand-dad to mind the shop. And I am 
sure he would wish to say good-bye to us.” 


MU. BIGIITON^S HOUSEKEEPER. 


55 


Mrs. White nodded pleasantly to her, and Rosebud 
ran into the back room, and returned in a few minutes 
followed by grand-dad, who seemed rather nervous at 
the prospect of addressing a strange lady. He kept 
quite close to Childie, as though claiming her protec- 



tion and care. She looked at him affectionately and 
proudly, keeping her hand in his, and watching 
anxiously to see whether Mrs. White was impressed 
by his dear presence. 

“ This is grand-dad,” she said, smiling trium- 
phantly. 


56 


LITTLE ROSEBUB. 


A whole world of love and gentleness was contained 
in those few words of hers. 

And when he began to talk to Mrs. White, first 
about the weather and then about Rosebud herself, 
Childie in the pride of her heart thought he looked 
quite the gentleman, every inch the gentleman, al- 
though there was scarcely an inch of his coat which 
was not shabby and shiny. Still, that did not matter ; 
he had gentle, courteous manners, which arc more 
becoming than fine clothes. 

Grand-dad,” said Childie, as they were starting, 
“ you’ll take care of the shop and of your own dear 
old self, won’t you ? And I shall be back to give you 
your dinner, grand-dad. And do use both your eyes 
when you read ; and don’t trouble to dust the books, 
grand-dad dear, for I’ll do all that this afternoon. 
And say something kind to Jane Eyre and Robinson 
Crusoe, for they’ll be lonely without me. Good-bye, 
dear.” 

“ Good-bye, Childie,” he answered. “ I think I 
shall be lonely, too ; so Jane Eyre and Robinson 
Crusoe and I will comfort each other.” 

When they had gone — and their departure was 
witnessed by Mr. Jones, who stood at his door waving 
his hat frantically — when they had gone, grand-dad 
pulled out that red cotton handkerchief, and removed 
from his face several curious little tears which were 
having a race down his thin old cheeks. 

“ What should I do if she were to leave me alto- 
gether?” he thought to himself. “I don’t think I 


Mli. BIGIITOX'^ TTOUSEKEEPER. 


should see any brightness in the sunshine, or any blue 
in the heavens.” 

Perhaps you, too, will think him rather a silly old 
man ; but you must remember that Childie was all in 
all to him, and that he had learnt to look upon her as 
his friend and compan- 
ion, yes, almost as his 
little mother. 

He found her dolls in 
a corner of the shop. 

He lifted them up very 
tenderly, and examined 
Mr. Crusoe’s squashed 
arm. He did not know 
much about medicine, 
but he dressed the arm 
as well as he could ; 
and no doubt Crusoe 
would have thanked him 
if he had had a tongue 
in his mouth. 

“ Childie says you are 
to spend the morning with me,” he said to them, 
solemnly, just as if they were real persons. 

He put them both on her stool, which he placed 
near his own armchair; and taking up a learned 
book, became deeply engrossed in it, stopping now 
and again to have a pinch of that horrid snuif. But, 
sorrowful to relate, he forgot all about Childie’s 
injunction, and he closed his right eye with the 




58 


LITTLE EOSEBUD. 


second finger of his right hand, and read with his 
left eye ! 

Meanwhile Rosebud and Mrs. White were creeping 
slowly towards Grosvenor Square. Rosebud herself 
could have been there and back six times over ; but 
Mrs. White was not able to get along very fast, for 
she was heavy, and so was that mantle of hers, and 
that wonderful bonnet with the violet tuft! But at 
last they arrived, and Childie stood gazing in awe 
at the great big solemn house. 

“ I suppose, ma’am,” she said, “ the tall gentleman 
must have a very large family to have such a very 
large house ? ” 

Mrs. White laughed. 

Bless you, no ! ” she answered. “ He’s only got 
Miss Violet.” 

“ If you please, ma’am,” said Childie, timidly, as 
they rang at the bell and waited to be admitted, “ if 
you please, ma’am, I’m rather frightened. I’ve never 
been to such a grand place before. Ours isn’t so 
grand, is it ? ” 

‘‘Not quite,” replied Mrs. White, smiling, and giving 
the child an encouraging nod. “ But don’t you be 
frightened, for I’m going to be your friend, you know. 
And let me tell you, deary, that it is something to 
have Mrs. Rebecca White as a friend.” 

The footman opened the door. Mrs. White bade 
Childie follow her, and took her up some stairs which 
led to the first floor. The landing was covered with 
beautiful rich velvet carpet. The whole place seemed 


MR. DIGHTON^S HOUSEKEEPER. 


59 


to Childie like fairyland. There were huge vases 
with bulrushes in them, and shining brass ornaments 
on brackets, and curious spears and swords and costly 
plates of many different colours and shapes fastened 
on to the wall. Childie was quite bewildered at 
everything, for she had 
been accustomed only to 
the sight of shabby second- 
hand books all her little 
life. 

“ Here we are,” said 
Mrs. White, cheerily, point- 
ing to a door. “ That’s 
Miss Violet’s boudoir. You 
knock and go in bravely 
by yourself. There’ll be 
no one but her. And she’s 
quite looking forward to 
seeing you. She don’t want 
to see me.” 

Childie’s heart beat very 
fast as she knocked timidly 
at the door. A voice cried : 

“ Come in ! ” 

Then Childie opened the door just wide enough for 
her to slip through, and, still holding on to the handle, 
she made a little curtsey and said : 

“ If you please, miss. I’ve come.” 



CHAPTER V. 


VIOLET AND ROSEBUD. 

Violet’s sofa was placed so that she could see any 
one coming into the room. Her face brightened up at 
the sight of Childie’s dear quaint little figure. She 
held out her hand in kindly welcome. 

‘‘ I am very pleased you have come, Rosebud,” she 
said, smiling brightly. “ Mrs. "White has put a chair 
for you by my side. You will sit down, won’t you, 
and take your hat and cape off ? ” 

There was something so friendly in her manner 
that Childie lost all sense of nervousness. 

“ I am so glad to see you, miss,” she said, earnestly. 
“ Ever since the tall gentleman, your papa, spoke 
of you, I’ve been thinking, oh ! such a lot about 
you.” 

‘‘ That is very sweet of you,” said Violet, gently. 
“ Move your chair a little closer to me, will 
you?” 

Childie drew it nearer to the sofa, and Violet took 
her hand and kept it prisoner. 

“ I am feeling much better to-day,” she said, brightly. 
“Do you know, the doctors promise that in time I 


VIOLET ANB ROSEBUD. 


G1 


shall be quite strong, — like you are. But it seems 
too good to be true.” 

“ Oh, but it will be true ! ” cried Childie, eagerly. 
“ One must always go on hoping. That is what I say 
to grand-dad when he is sad and anxious. It makes 
all the difference in the world if one has hope, doesn’t 
it?” 

“ I think it does,” answered Violet. “ I shall re- 
member what you say. Papa tells me you have read 
a great many books, and that you are very wise ; so 
you must teach me to be wise.” 

Childie laughed. 

“ I am sure I couldn’t do that,” she said, “ because 
I am not wise myself. Grand-dad’s the one to know 
a lot. He does know a lot. He is a walking library. 
Oh, you would like him, I am sure. And then there’s 
Mr. Jones. He is not clever about books, but there 
is no one in the world that knows more about birds 
than he does. He has all the names on the tip of 
his tongue. And he has the most wonderful par- 
rot, whom he has taught, to say ‘ Things will take 
a turn.’” 

“ I should like to hear him say that,” cried Violet. 

“ He says it about a thousand times every day,” 
laughed Childie. “ Mr. Jones declares we can’t hear 
it too often. Mr. Jones has taught him other things, 
too ; and T believe he is teaching him something quite 
new, but I don’t know what it is yet.” 

And then Childie told Violet all about the birds in 
Mr. Jones’s shop, not forgetting the little piping bull- 


62 


LITTLE BOSEBUD. 


finch. Now and again she stopped, but Violet always 
said : 

Do go on, Rosebud, if you’re not tired ; for don’t 
think I’m tired of listening.” 

And then somehow or other they got on the subject 
of dolls, and Childie gave her an account of Jane Eyre 
and Robinson Crusoe, not mentioning, however, the 
terrible accident which had deprived Mr. Crusoe of 
the use of his right arm. 

“ Are both your dolls in good health ? ” asked Violet, 

slyly- 

“ Oh, pretty good,” answered Childie, cheerfully, 
“ considering the sudden heat, you know. That seems 
to try every one. The lady who came to fetch me 
this morning was quite tired out.” 

“ Rosebud,” said Violet, suddenly, “ I know one of 
your dolls is not in good health. I always find out 
papa’s secrets. Now, here is a doll I want you very 
much to have. I made a hat for it last night.” 

She took from beneath the coverlet a most gor- 
geously dressed doll-individual. 

“ For me ? ” cried Childie, aghast. In her wildest 
dreams she had never imagined to herself such a doll 
as this. 

^‘Yes, for you,” answered Violet, delighted to see 
her surprise and enjoyment. 

May I kiss you ? ” asked Childie, her little face 
flushed with excitement and gratitude. 

It was not the doll she cared about so much as the 
kindness. 


VIOLET AND BOSEBUD. 


63 


“ Yes ; please kiss me,’’ said Violet. 

And Childie bent over and kissed the little girl 
tenderly. 

‘‘ I could love you so much if you would let me,” 
she whispered. 

“ Do love me,” answered Violet, whose face shone 
with a bright smile. 



And this was the sweet beginning of their friend- 
ship. 

“ What are you going to call that doll ? ” asked 
Violet. ‘‘ You always choose odd names for your 
dolls, don’t you ? ” 

I think I shall call her Queen Elizabeth,” laughed 
Childie, “ or Marie Antoinette. Which do you 
prefer ? ” 

“ One of them lost her head,” said Violet. I’d 


64 


LITTLE IWtSEBUD. 


choose the name of the person who did not lose her 
head.’’ 

“ That would be Queen Elizabeth, then,” replied 
Childie ; “ although I read in a book the other day 
that she, too, lost her head. But grand-dad explained 
to me that it only meant she became confused 
and didn’t know what she was doing. I was very 
puzzled at the time, but I think I understand 
now. Grand-dad says a great many kings and 
queens have lost their heads, — in both senses, you 
know ! ” 

Then they talked about books, and Childie was 
quite distressed that some of Violet’s beautiful books 
did not wear brown-paper overcoats. 

“Will you let me cover them?” she said, with 
motherly anxiety. “ You don’t know how clever 
I am at covering books. But at home I cut out 
the overcoats to hide the shabbiness of our books ; 
here I should make them to protect the beautiful 
binding.” 

“ You shall cover one now,” said Violet, laughing. 
“ Here is the brown paper that Queen Elizabeth came 
in, and here is a pair of scissors, and there is a book 
that ought to have a cover.” 

And thus the morning sped away ; and Mrs. White 
arrived with some tempting cake, and found the two 
little girls in happy and eager conversation. 

“ You don’t look very frightened now, child,” she 
said, kindly. 

“ No, ma’am,” answered Rosebud, with a bright. 


VIOLET ANIJ B08EBUD. 


65 


frank smile ; “I’m not at all frightened now. Only I 
hope I have not tired the little lady.” 

“ Indeed she has not,” cried Violet. “ I’ve been so 
happy, Mrs. White, and the time has passed only too 
quickly. I don’t often say that, do 1, Mrs. White ? ” 
she asked, somewhat sadly. 

“ No, deary,” answered Mrs. White. “ But you’re 
going to begin to say it ; that I’m sure of. Ah ! here’s 
the master.” 

“ I’m so glad you’ll see papa before you go,” said 
Violet, turning to Childie, who was putting on her hat 
and cape. “ Papa dear, Rosebud has made me very 
happy.” 

“ Ah ! I knew she would,” said Mr. Dighton, sitting 
down on Violet’s sofa, and holding out his hand to 
Childie, who smiled with delight to see him, for he 
was a sort of tall hero to her. “ Thank you. Rose- 
bud, for making my little girl happy. Now you are 
going home to your grandfather, and you must re- 
member to tell him that we shall want him to spare 
you for a short time every day, either in the morning 
or the afternoon, whichever is best for you.” 

“ Please, sir,” answered Childie, “ I should prefer 
to come in the afternoon, because grand-dad likes to 
go out in the morning. And,” she added, quaintly, 
“ I always feel a little anxious when he goes out in 
the afternoon and does not come home until dusk ; 
for he is old now, and his eyesight is bad, and he 
can’t get over the crossings very quickly.” 

a Yery well, little Rosebud,” he said, kindly ; “ you 


66 


LITTLE ROSEBUD. 


shall come in the afternoons. Now, good-bye, little 
junior partner. By the way, how is Mr. Crusoe ? Is 
his arm to be cut off ? ” 

“ The doctors cannot tell me yet,” she laughed, — 
for she enjoyed a bit of a joke, — “ but I do not think 
Mr. Crusoe will take any harm ! ” 

“ What a good thing it is,” said Mr. Dighton, sol- 
emnly, “ that you are going to earn a little money 
every week, for you w'ill be able to give Mr. Crusoe 
a few luxuries now that he is ill.” 

‘‘ No,” said Childie, laughing again ; “ I shall keep 
the luxuries for Queen Elizabeth. The little lady has 
given her to me, and I shall take every care of her. 
Only I don’t see that I deserve to have such a beauti- 
ful present. I can’t think what grand-dad and Mr. 
Jones will say. They will be surprised.” 

‘‘ Oh, papa,” cried Violet, “ mayn’t I have the 
piping bullfinch from Mr. Jones’s shop? I’d nearly 
forgotten to ask you.” 

‘‘ Of course you shall, dear,” he answered, glad to 
please her in anything and everything. ‘‘ Rosebud 
shall bring it with her to-morrow afternoon ; or, 
better still, we’ll send the footman to fetch it.” 

“ Oh, thank you,” said Childie, tears of delight 
glistening in her eyes. ‘‘ That is kind of you. And 
I shall be so proud to tell Mr. Jones.” 

Her little hands were clasped together tightly ; her 
face beamed with happiness. 

“ He is so good to me,” she said, earnestly. “ You 
can’t think how kind he is. And I know he will 



“ ‘ THANK YOU, ROSEBUD, FOR MAKING MY LITTLE GIRL HAPPY 


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VIOLET AND ROSEBUD. 


69 


be pleased to hear you are going to buy the bull- 
fineh.” 

She said good-bye to her new friends ; and one and 
all were pleased to have seen her. Even the footman, 
James, condescended to give her a smile. And this 
was very extraordinary ; for he generally frowned at 
people, or glared at them, especially if they were 
inconsiderate enough to trouble him to answer the 
front bell when he was enjoying his newspaper or 
his tea ! 

Childie went on her way home, thinking first of 
the little delicate lady, then of the tall gentleman, 
then of Mrs. White, then of Queen Elizabeth, then of 
the footman with the stiff neck, and last, not least, of 
grand-dad and Mr. Jones. She had made many new 
friends, and seen many beautiful things, but her heart 
was faithful to the old friends and the old familiar 
things she loved. 

“ The house may be very grand,” she said to her- 
self, “ but it’s not like our book-shop. There may be 
many beautiful ornaments about, but I don’t care for 
them as much as for our dear second-hand books. 
And those stuffed birds under the glass case ! Why, 
Mr. Jones has real birds, and of course they are better 
than stuffed ones ! ” 

She could not resist running in to Mr. Jones’s shop 
just to tell him the good news. 

“ Mr. Jones ! ” she cried. I can’t wait, because 
grand-dad will be wanting his dinner, but I’ve sold 
your piping bullfinch for you, and the footman is 


TO 


LITTLE ROSEBUD. 


coming to fetch it to-morrow. Mr. Jones, I’m so 
glad, aren’t you ? ” 

Mr. Jones made no answer, but, catching hold of 
both her hands, whirled her around and around, until 
she called out to him to stop. 



CHAPTER YI. 


THE WONDERFUL PARROT. 


0 the junior partner of the second-hand book-shop 



^ went backwards and forwards to the grand house 
in Grosvenor Square. Every afternoon at two o’clock 
she said good-bye to grand-dad, Queen Elizabeth, Jane 
Eyre, Mr. Crusoe, and Mr. Jones, and hurried off to 
business. 

‘‘Ain’t you just proud of yourself. Birdie?” said 
^Ir. Jones one afternoon, as she passed by his shop 
and gave him her usual greeting. “Ain’t you just 
proud of helping grand-dad ? There now, I should be ! 
What I like about you. Rosebud child, is that you 
don’t alter to your old friends. That’s saying a good 
deal, you know, in this ’ere queerish world.” 

“ You don’t mean to say that people do forget their 
old friends ? ” asked Childie, much shocked. 

Mr. Jones nodded his head violently. 

“ I mean what I say,” he remarked, gravely. “ But 
there now, don’t you take no heed of me. Time 
enough to think about these things when you’re old 
and ugly like I am.” 

“ You’re not ugly, I’m sure ! ” laughed Childie. “ Of 
course there is one little bit of your face which is not 
pretty, Mr. Jones. But I don’t think I’d even have 


72 


LITTLE liOSEliUn. 


that altered. You wouldn’t be iny Mr. Jones unless 
you had a red nose.” 

“ Ah,” he answered, I guessed it was my nose you 
were finding fault with. You’re always poking fun 
at my nose.” 

Indeed, Mr. Jones,” she laughed, fondling his 
rough old hand, ‘‘ I’m very fond of your nose ! Mr. 
Jones, I want you to give a look-in to grand-dad this 
afternoon, will you ? I think he is rather lonely some- 
times ; and of course I am obliged to go out every 
afternoon. Business must be done regularly, mustn’t 
it?” 

Mr. Jones smiled at the little business woman 
standing before him. 

“ Quite right, Childie,” he answered. “ Stick to 
your work like a man.” 

“ It is very pleasant business,” she continued. “ I 
feel perfectly at home there now, and Miss Violet 
seems to get stronger and brighter every day. She 
says it is all through me ; but I don’t see how that 
can be, for I’m not a doctor. I thought only doctors 
could make people well.” 

‘‘Ain’t you a doctor?” asked Mr. Jones. “Well, 
I don’t know who is a doctor if you ain’t one. Don’t 
you doctor up them sick books, and grand-dad, and your 
humble servant, and your humble servant’s torn coats ? 
Why, if I’m just feeling in the blues, don’t I come to 
you for physic, and you give it me ? Ain’t kind words 
and bright smiles physic ? Ain’t they or ain’t they 
not. Birdie ? ” 


THE WONDERFUL PARROT. 


73 


“ I’m sure I don’t know,” laughed Childie. “ And 
that reminds me, Mr. Jones, the bullfinch is not 
feeling very well.” 

“Too many hemp-seeds. Rosebud, too many hemp- 
seeds ! ” said Mr. Jones, trying to look very stern and 
failing utterly. “ Cut them off ! ” 

“Do you think, Mr. Jones,” asked Childie, tim- 
idly, “ that you could find time to come and see the 
bird yourself ? Miss Violet would he so grateful to 
you, and I should, too.” 

Mr. Jones stroked his chin thoughtfully. 

“ It ain’t much in my line,” he answered, “ to visit 
them grand places ; but I don’t mind making an ex- 
ception in your favour. Rosebud. Only it’s the stout 
person as came to fetch you that I’m thinking of. 
She’s awful proud and haughty. And I’m frightened 
of her. That’s the plain truth, Childie.” 

“ I will take care of you, Mr. Jones,” said Childie, 
smiling. “ And you know she is really very nice. 
It’s wonderful how nice people are when you come to 
know them.” 

“Are they now?” asked Mr. Jones, doubtfully. 

“ Well, I daresay you’re right, Rosebud. Anyway, 
I’ll come to have a look at the bullfinch. Name your 
time, and see if I’m not ready. And now off you go 
to your business. And keep your mind easy about 
the grand-dad, for I’ll pop in to see him.” 

Then Childie went on her way to Grosvenor 
Square, and Mr. Jones retired into his shop, muttering 
to himself these mysterious words : 


74 


LITTLE ROSEBUD. 


“ Won’t that ’ere child be just took aback when she 
hears the parrot saying her new lines ! ” 

He then chuckled several times, for reasons best 
known to himself, and, turning up his shirt-sleeves as 
he always did when he was about to undertake a tough 

piece of work, he sat on 
a stool and addressed his 
favourite parrot thus : 

“ Now, old donkey, 
I’m just going on with 
our bit of schooling. 
And hark you, if you’ve 
forgotten them new 
words. I’ll crack your 
little skull for you, that 
I will. Ho you hear, old 
screecher ? 

‘‘ Things ’ave took a 
turn — ’urrah ! Things 
’ave took a turn — 
’urrah ! Say that, don- 
key.” 

With wonderful patience Hr. Jones i*cpeated these 
words a fearful number of times, until he was really 
quite exhausted with the terrilJe exertion. 

The parrot remained perfectly mute, but put her 
head on one side and rolled her eyes in a very know- 
ing manner. She was taking it all in. But not one 
little word did she vouchsafe; and Mr. Jones, having 
devoted a long time to her education, left her to 



THE WONBERFUL PARROT. 75 

meditate on the lesson, and ran over to the second- 
hand book-shop to smoke a pipe with grand-dad. 

Grand-dad, as usual, was reading a very learned book, 
which he put aside when the bird-fancier entered. 

“ I’m glad to see you, Mr. Jones,” he said, smiling, 
and pointing to a chair. 



“ Thank you, sir, I’m sure,” answered Mr. Jones. 

He always called grand-dad “ sir,” for he had an 
immense respect and admiration for the quiet, white- 
haired, scholarly gentleman. 

“ I was feeling a wee bit lonely, sir,” he continued, 
as he lit his pipe and offered the match to grand-dad, 
“ and I thought as I’d just come over for a smoke and 
a chat. The street seems queerish without the littl’un ; 
don’t it, sir ? ” 


76 


LITTLE BOSEBUL. 


“ Yes, it does,” answered grand-dad, his face bright- 
ening up as he thought of Childie. “ But I’m glad 
she should have the change, Mr. Jones, for it must 
be dull work along with me, you know.” 

“ Well, she don’t seem to find it so,” said Mr. 
Jones, earnestly. Rosebud is never so happy as 
when she is sitting by your side reading, or doing her 
bit of stitching. Why, to speak plain, I’m sometimes 
an inch or two jealous of you.” 

Grand-dad smiled and said, gently : 

“ I’m quite certain you need not be jealous, for 
Childie loves you very dearly, Mr. Jones; and indeed 
she ought to do so, since you are our kind, faithful 
friend. I do not say much about it, but you must 
believe that I am grateful to you, will you not ? ” 

He leaned forward and held out his hand, which 
Mr. Jones grasped heartily. 

‘‘ Thank you, sir,” he said, rubbing his eyes across 
his coat-sleeves ; “ thank you for them words. I’m 
just as proud as a peacock to hear you call me a 
friend. Bless me, how I’ve watched that littl’un grow- 
ing up ! And every day I said to myself she’s grown a 
bit taller and a bit beautifuller. Ain’t I just proud of 
her now ! There’s no one in Grosvenor Square like 
our Rosebud, sir. Grosvenor Square, indeed ! ” 

“ There’s no one in the whole world like Childie,” 
answered grand-dad, lovingly. “ I think she is one of 
God’s own gracious smiles.” 

At that moment a very learned-looking lady, with a 
stern face and a pair of stern spectacles, came into the 


THE WONBETtFUL P ABBOT. 


77 


shop and asked for a book, the very name of which 
frightened Mr. Jones out of his seven senses. Nod- 
ding kindly to Jane Eyre, Robinson Crusoe, and 
Queen Elizabeth, who were, as usual, reposing on a 
chair by grand-dad’s side, Mr. Jones fled away, thinking 
to himself what a good thing it was that birds had 
not such long names as books. 

‘‘ I should be floored,” he said, “ for I’m nothing of 
a scholar, nothing at all.” 

He crossed the road and made for his shop, and as 
he neared it he heard some wonderful sounds which 
caused his red nose to become redder than ever, and 
his heart to beat violently with excitement. 

The parrot, sly bird ! had learnt her lesson and was 
screeching at the top of her voice : 

“ Things ’ave took a turn ! things ’ave took a turn 
— ’urrah ! Say that, donkey ! ” 



CHAPTER YII. 


MR. JONES VISITS GROSVENOR SQUARE. 

C HILDIE had confided to Violet Mr. Jones’s fear 
of Mrs. White. 

“ Oh, we’ll look after him, Rosebud,” Violet had 
answered, encouragingly. “ You tell him from me 
that there is nothing at all to be afraid of, and that I 
am sure Mrs. White will be very kind to him.” 

All the same, she took the precaution of getting 
Mrs. White into a very good temper on the afternoon 
when Mr. Jones was to accompany Rosebud to Gros- 
venor Square. She took her medicine without a 
minute’s hesitation ; and she was so bright and cheer- 
ful that Mrs. White, who loved her little mistress 
dearly, smiled with delight to think she was really 
becoming stronger. 

“ You’ve changed wonderfully these last few weeks, 
deary,” she said, affectionately. “ Why, there’s a 
colour on your face, and you look happier. You’ll be 
getting about and running faster than I can. It’s all 
along of that Rosebud. Bless her dear little heart! 
Never shall I forget the day when I went to fetch her, 
and she, seeing me looking tired and hot, took a paper 
and fanned me so nicely. She’s got a wonderful way 

78 


MB. JONES VISITS GBOSVENOB SQUARE. 79 

about her, Miss Violet. There’s not a soul in the 
house that doesn’t love her. Even James smiles 
pleasant when he sees her coming ; and that’s saying 
a good deal, because he generally looks awful cross 
and disagreeable.” 

“ I’m so glad you love Rosebud,” said Violet, 
eagerly. “ I can’t tell you how I love her, dear Mrs. 
White. I don’t know what I should do if she could 
not come to me every day. She has always such a lot 
to tell me about her grandfather and about her friend, 
Mr. Jones. I am quite anxious to see them both. I 
am sorry not to have seen her grandfather when he 
came the other morning to look at papa’s library. 
But he will come again soon, and then I shall tell him 
how I love Rosebud.” 

“ He is the real gentleman,” answered Mrs. White. 
“ I know them when I see them. But deary me, Mr. 
Jones ! — well, he’s a different sort.” 

“ He must be very nice for Rosebud to love him,” 
said Violet, stanchly. “ You’ve got the bullfinch 
ready, haven’t you, dear Mrs. White ? for you remem- 
ber that Mr. Jones is coming this afternoon. And 
you’ll find him a cup of tea, won’t you ? I daresay he 
will be tired after his long walk.” 

She looked up pleadingly, for she was very anxious 
to make everything pleasant for Rosebud’s great 
friend. 

Mrs. White understood the look. 

“ Bless your heart, deary ! ” she said, affectionately, 
“ I’m going to be kind to the bird-fancier for your 


80 


LITTLE HOSE BUI). 


sake, and for Rosebud’s sake, too. He shall havo tea 
enough for ten ; so don’t you worry your little self. 
Here they come. Miss Violet ; I can hear Rosebud’s 
voice. I’ll just go and meet them on the landing and 
say something nice ; and then when you want me, 
deary. I’ll come and serve the tea for you. You’d 
like him to have his cup of tea along with you this 
afternoon, wouldn’t you?” 

“Thank you, dear Mrs. White,” she answered, 
gratefully. “ I should like that very much.” 

Mrs. White trundled off to give a kindly greeting to 
Mr. Jones, who, by the way, quite forgot to take off 
his hat when he saw her, and became very confused 
and nervous, and held Rosebud’s hand very tightly ; 
for he believed thoroughly in her protecting care. 

“ I am pleased to see you,” said Mrs. White, 
benignly. 

“ Same to you, ma’am,” answered Mr. Jones, in a 
melancholy tone of voice. 

“It is a warm afternoon, Mr. Jones, isn’t it?” 
continued Mrs. White, kindly. 

“ Shockin’ ’ot,” he said, puffing rather violently, 
and then taking out his handkerchief and wiping his 
face. 

“You’ll find Miss Violet in her room,” said Mrs. 
White, smiling in a most friendly manner. “ She is 
anxiously waiting for her friends; and I daresay 
you’ll be glad of a cup of tea soon, Mr. Jones ? ” 

“ Right you are, ma’am,” he answered, gaining 
confidence. 


Mil. JONES VISITS GROSVENOB SQUARE. 81 

And when she had passed on her way down-stairs, 
Mr. Jones, stooping down, whispered to Childie : 

“ I say, littl’un, this polite business is harder work 
than cleaning the whole blessed shop out. How did 
I bear myself to that ’ere party ? ” 

“ A^ery nicely indeed, dear Mr. Jones,” she said. 

I’m sure I’m quite proud of you I ” 

“She don’t look near so frightening without that 
haughty black bonnet concern on her old head,” he 
remarked, as he took off his hat and put it under his 
arm. 

“ Didn’t I tell you she was very kind ? ” answered 
Childie. “ Oh, but I do wonder what you’ll think of 
dear Miss Violet, Mr. Jones. If you don’t love her 
the very first minute you see her. I’ll never speak to 
you again.” 

She knocked at Violet’s boudoir-door and went in, 
leading Mr. Jones by the right hand. 

“ If you please, dear Miss Violet,” she said, bring- 
ing her companion up to A^iolet’s sofa, “ this is my 
friend, Mr. Jones.” 

The little lady on the sofa smiled her brightest, and 
shook hands with Rosebud’s great friend. 

“ I’m pleased to make your acquaintance,” he said, 
cheerily, for he had quite recovered his composure 
now. “ I’ve heard a sight about you from the littl’un, 
and I make bold to say I knows you quite familiar- 
like.” 

“ And I’m sure I know all about you, Mr. Jones,” 
laughed Violet; “for Rosebud is always saying nice 


82 


LITTLE BOSEBUD. 


things about you, and I am just longing to come and 
see your shop. Rosebud has given me a lovely de- 
scription of all your beautiful birds. I know which 
one I should choose to buy next.” 

“ And which might that be ?” asked Mr. Jones. 

“ Why, of course, the parrot,” said Violet. 



Oh, the parrot, to be sure ! ” replied Mr. Jones, 
and went into fits of laughter at some private joke of 
his own. ‘‘ Ah, she’s a ’cute bird that, although she’s 
only had a governess at home, and ain’t been to no 
grand school, and ain’t learned out of no second-hand 
books from that ’ere child’s grand-dad’s shop. But 
she knows a thing or two, she do, and she don’t 
forget.” 

Rosebud, seeing that the two were getting on well 


MR. JONES VISITS GROSVENOR SQUARE. 83 

together, went out of the room to fetch her work, and 
then Mr. Jones nudged Violet and said, confidingly : 

‘‘ You’ll have to come and hear that parrot speak 
her new lines. When I heard her last evening I thought 
I should have burst with joy, because I’d taken a deal 
of trouble with schooling her. And all she did was to 
roll her little eyes, and put her little head on one side 
like this, you know, until I felt that aggravated I 
could have wrung her obstinate neck. But in the 
evening she said it pat off, plainer than any human 
being ; as nice as you or I might speak.” 

“ And what was it she said ? ” asked Violet, eagerly. 

“ Well, I’m not sure as I’ll tell you,” he answered ; 
then seeing her look of disappointment, he added : 

‘‘ Yes, I will, missy, only don’t you go telling the 
littl’un, because I want her to hear for her dear little 
self.” 

Then he told the story to Violet, and she clapped 
her hands with delight, and of course longed to give 
this piece of news to Childie. 

“ Won’t 'Rosebud laugh ! ” she said, smiling at him. 

“Won’t she just?” he answered, proudly. “You 
know, last night I hoped that bird would speak up 
when Rosebud came in to brush up my things, and 
make them look a bit fresh for to come and see you 
in. And she brought this blue necktie, and told me 
as I was to wear it to-day. A pretty thing, ain’t it ? 
Not the same style as your sash, but wonderful sweet 
of its kind.” 

“ Very pretty,” said Violet, glancing at it. 


84 


LITTLE ROSEBUD. 


‘‘ Oh, bless your heart ! She has good taste, she 
has,” he replied, stroking his red nose. “ She’s a 
clever little party, is Childie. She’s got more learn- 
ing in her finger-nail than you or me has got in our 
whole bodies. But that’s neither here nor there ; what 
I looks to is her goodness ; and I ain’t got fine words 
to speak about that. But don’t I just feel, missy, 
don’t I just feel ! That’s all.” 

‘‘ I am sure you do,” answered Violet, earnestly, 
putting her little delicate hand on his arm, “ and 
I do, too, Mr. Jones ; for Rosebud is like a little 
mother to me, and I love her more and more every 
day.” 

Mr. Jones listened delightedly whilst she spoke of 
Childie, nodding his bald head approvingly and smil- 
ing very proudly. And then, when she had finished, 
and he saw the tears of eagerness in her eyes, he took 
her little hand and put it very gently and respectfully 
to his lips. 

“ I’m just blessed if Rosebud or any one else could 
keep themselves from loving you, dear little missy,” 
he said, kindly. “ And I’m proud to see you, I am. 
And when you take to running about, and come to 
my shop, won’t I just give you a welcome, — trust 
me!” 

“ Thank you,” said Violet. “ And oh, Mr. Jones, 
what about the bullfinch ? Rosebud and I have been 
quite anxious about it, haven’t we. Rosebud ? ” she 
added, as Childie came into the room, carrying her 
work-basket in one hand and some brown paper in 


MR. JONES VISITS GROSVENOR SQUARE. 85 

another; for she was going to cover a new book 
which Mr. Dighton had brought home for Violet the 
previous night. 

“ Yes, indeed, we’ve been quite anxious,” said 
Childie. ‘‘ But Mr. Jones laughs at our fears, and 
declares we’ve given the bird too many hemp seeds. 
But he always says that just to tease me, I 
believe.” 

“ None of your poking fun at me,” said Mr. Jones, 
shaking his fist at her. “ You don’t know nothing 
about birds, you don’t. That’s my line of business. 
You go on witli your stitching or what not, whilst I 
have a peep at the bullfinch. Ah ! ” he exclaimed, as 
he looked at the bird, ‘‘ what a beauty it is ! Did you 
ever see the like of the breast, and the wee bright 
black eyes, and the sly little head ? The finest bull- 
finch in the whole world ! And can’t he just sing as 
loud as any trumpet ? He’s all right enough, except 
for them hemp seeds. They make him feel heavy- 
like. Cut them off! I’m proud, missy, that I sold 
you this ’ere bird, for I declare he’s a downright 
credit to you and to me, too.” 

“ I am very glad to have him,” said Violet, smiling. 
“ He is quite a companion in the mornings. And, do 
you know, he always sings directly Rosebud comes 
into the room.” 

“Of course he does,” answered Mr. Jones. “He 
thinks she’s the sunshine, he do. He’s a knowing 
bird. But not like the parrot, bless me, not like the 
parrot ! ” 


86 


LITTLE ROSEBUD. 


Childie was busy cutting out a brown-paper over- 
coat for the new book, and did not see Mr. Jones and 
Violet smiling mysteriously at each other. 

She was very happy that they had made friends 
together ; for of course it was a responsibility for her 
to introduce her friend to strange peojde, who did not 
know his funny ways and his kind heart. And it 
would have been very disa})pointing to her if Violet 
had not taken kindly to him. 

As for him, he was really in capital spirits, and 
seemed quite at ease in the grand room. 

“ Nice, tidy, pretty room this is, to be sure ! ” he 
remarked, “ and what remarkable fine pictures. They 
remind me rather of some my old grandmother had 
as belonged to her mother, sweet, pretty things ! And 
so you lie here all the day long and look at them, 
missy ? ” 

“ Yes ; but I am going to walk soon, am I not. 
Rosebud dear ? said Violet, turning lovingly to her 
little mother. 

“ Yes, indeed you are, dear Miss Violet,” she 
answered. “ That will be a happy day, won’t 
it?” 

At least that was a happy afternoon. Mrs. White 
joined the company, and was graciousness itself to Mr. 
Jones, although in her heart of hearts she considered 
he was rather a queer sort of person, — certainly 
not the usual kind of visitor at No. 12, Grosvenor 
Square. And then he looked rather odd, too ; his 
coat, black broadcloth, was certainly well brushed, 


3nt. JONES VISITS GUO SVEN OR SQUARE. 87 


but it was very shiny and greasy, and somewhat 
tight for him, — he was not a slim individual. His 
boots, which he had taken a tremendous long time to 
polish, were not particularly elegant, and there was 



no denying that his nose was very red and his head 
very bald. But in spite of nose, and head, and boots, 
and coat, Mrs. White was inclined to like him. When 
James the footman brought the tea-tray in, holding 
his nose rather high, because he felt rather aggrieved 
at having to wait upon this kind of visitor, Mrs. 


88 


LITTLE llOSEBUD. 


White ordered him about very sternly, and his nose 
came down with a leap, for it was not wise to displease 
or annoy Mrs. White. 

Mr. Jones had partaken of the bulk of the tea-cake 
and a portion of Swiss roll, which he called “ a won- 
derful relish,” and several cups of tea, which he said 
were ‘‘ prime,” and half a dozen or so thin slices of 
bread and butter, which he declared were “ juicy little 
mouthfuls,” and was resting from his exertions, when 
the door opened and Mr. Dighton came in. 

“Ah, I’m disturbing a tea-party,” he said, smiling 
kindly. “ Well, Rosebud, and is this your friend, 
Mr. Jones ? I am pleased to see you, Mr. Jones. 
Can you speak with me a minute ? ” 

Mr. Jones followed Mr. Dighton out of the room, 
wondering what on earth the gentleman could have to 
say to him. 

“ At your service, sir,” he said, as they stood 
together on the landing. 

“ Well, it is just this, Mr. Jones,” said Mr. Dighton, 
quietly. “ I have been calling at Mr. Burnley’s shop 
to make some proposals to him about my library, 
which sadly wants putting in order ; and to my grief 
I found he was ill. He had fainted away in his chair. 
I called in help and we brought him to, and when he 
opened his eyes he murmured : ‘ Childie, where is 
Childie ? ’ So I left him in charge of a neighbour, 
and hurried on here. Now, shall I tell Rosebud, or 
will you ? I fear the old man is going to be very ill. 
He looks as pale as death.” 


MR. JONES VISITS GROSVENOR SQUARE. 89 


“ ril tell her,” said Mr. Jones. ‘‘ Rosebud is as 
brave as a lion; she’ll keep quiet, you see.” 

He went straight back to the room, and himself 
tried hard to keep calm. 

‘‘Littl’un,” he said, very tenderly, ‘‘grand-dad’s 



not feeling particularly well, and wants you to come 
home to him ; just to look after him, you know, 
Childie.” 

Her face turned pale, her lips quivered slightly ; her 
loving heart was full of sadness to think that grand-dad 
was ill and she was not by his side. She gathered 
together her things, hastily kissed Violet and Mrs. 


90 


TATTLE nOSEBUD. 


White, smiled sadly at Mr. Digliton, who stood in the 
doorway and whispered : 

“ Good little Rosebud, keep up a brave heart.” 

And clinging close to Mr. Jones, she passed silently 
down the endless stairs, through the long passage, 
and out into the street. 

“ Grand-dad is ill and I am not by his side,” was all 
she said; but there was a whole world of sorrow in 
those few words. 

“ The way seems twelve times longer than usual,” 
she sighed, when they had nearly arrived at the 
bookshop. 

“ Courage, Childie,” said Mr. Jones, cheerily ; “ just 
a few yards more, and you’ll be with grand-dad.” 

And in two or three minutes Childie was kneeling 
by grand-dad’s side, kissing his dear hands and his 
dear face. 

‘‘ Grand-dad darling,” she whispered, “ Childie has 
come, and will never leave you again.” 



CHAPTER YIII. 


A CHAPTER OF PLEASANT SURPRISES. 

G RAND-DAD was very ill. Mr. Dighton’s own 
doctor came to see him, and looked grave. He 
had taken a bad chill, and he had to fight against old 
age. 

“ Who is going to nurse him ? ” asked the doctor 
of Childie. 

“ If you please, sir,” answered Childie, “ I am going 
to nurse him. But if you don’t think I know enough, 
sir, I shall be quite content so long as I am in the 
room all the time, just to be near him if he wants me. 
But I’ll take such care of him, and Mr. Jones will 
help me.” 

“ I’m sure you will take care of him,” said the doc- 
tor, kindly. “ Well, we shall see to-morrow whether 
you can manage alone.” 

It was a sadly anxious time for Childie ; but if the 
kindness of friends can be any consolation in the hour 
of trouble, then indeed Childie must have had great 
consolation. For Mrs. White arrived, bringing loving 
messages from Violet and some few delicacies for 
grand-dad ; and, dear old soul that she was, she 
wouldn’t hear of going home that night, but kept 

91 


92 


LITTLE ROSEBUD. 


watch with Childie in grand-dad’s room, and looked 
after Childie and made her take food and tea, and 
spoke kind, cheering words to her. 

“ Don’t you fear, deary, that I’m going to forget 
you now you want help,” she said to Rosebud. “ And 
do you think, deary, as how I could get a wink of 
sleep if you were sitting up alone with your poor, dear 
grandfather ? No, here’s my place, and here I’m go- 
ing to be ; and if the master had refused me, I’d have 
come all the same. But he was only too glad to 
have me come, bless his kind heart.” 

The next morning, as Mrs. White was leaving the 
book-shop just to go and see after Violet, Mr. Jones, 
laden with a large bunch of pinks and cornflowers, 
which he had brought all the way from Co vent 
Garden, stopped her and begged her to take them to 
Childie. 

I’ve never been sick myself,” he said, “ but I’ve 
heard as sick folk like a whole sight of flowers in 
their rooms ; and so I thought as I’d just buy these 
’ere bunches to make the place look cheerful. Beg- 
ging your pardon for troubling you, ma’am, but 
I should feel very grateful if you’d pop them into 
Childie’s little hands. I don’t like to run up, myself, 
for fear of creaking with these heavy boots of mine.” 

‘‘Do you know, you are very kind, Mr. Jones?” 
said Mrs. White, taking the flowers from him. “ I 
think you are a most kind person.” 

“ Why, now, ma’am,” he answered, “ I do believe 
you’re making fun of me, like Rosebud do sometimes. 





“ THE DOCTOR CAME TO SEE HIM AND LOOKED GRAVE, 



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A CHAPTETt OF PLEASANT SUPPPISES. 95 


Poor little dear thing ! Ain’t she got a brave heart, 
ma’am ? How 1 think of her in her trouble ! And 
there’s very little work I can do now. Last night 
a customer came in and wanted a linnet. He could 
have had the whole lot for all I cared, cages and seed 



and all, and I’d never have asked him for no money 
in return. But there now, ma’am, begging your pardon 
for keeping you standing, I’m sure.” 

In the afternoon, when Mrs. White returned, she 
found him in the shop, dusting the books in a melan- 
choly kind of manner. 


96 


LITTLE ROSEBUD. 


‘‘ I thought as I iiiiist do something,” he said, sadly. 
“ Men is no good in a sick-room ; and I just knew 
Childie would be pleased if I gave a dust to the 
grand-dad’s books. He and she think a deal of them, 

they do. And Childie’s 
mighty particular about 
them.” 

^Irs. White was 
touched by his forlorn 
condition. 

“ Look you,” she said, 
kindly, “ I’ll come down 
and finish dusting the 
books, and you shall go 
up and sit quietly for an 
hour with Rosebud, and 
she’ll tell you how 
pleased she was with the 
beautiful flowers.” 

And she was true to 
her word, for she came 
down in about a quarter 
of an hour; and Mr. 
Jones, slipping off his 
boots, crept up-stairs, taking with him Jane Eyre, 
Robinson Crusoe, and Queen Elizabeth, whom he had 
found neglected and forgotten in a corner of the shop. 

“ They’re only dolls,” he said to himself ; “ but 
they’re part of the family household, and maybe 
they’ll gladden the littl’un.” 



A CrrAPTJUJi OF PLFASAjYT SUTiPPISES. 97 

But he gladdened her still more, sitting quietly by 
her side, holding her hand. 

“ Ain’t you going to be a clever little doctor ? ” he 
whispered, as he watched her give grand-dad some 
medicine. ‘‘ Ain’t you going to cure grand-dad 
quickly ? Why, to be sure, you’re cleverer than twenty 
of them old stupids as drives about in their fine car- 
riages, and calls at the houses, and looks awful solemn 
and haughty. Our Rosebud is the doctor for us.” 

But she shook her head, and whispered in return : 

“Mr. Jones, dear, they say he is very ill; and of 
course he’s old, too, and hasn’t the strength that I 
have. I wish I could give him mine.” 

“ She ain’t got much to give,” thought Mr. Jones, 
as he looked at Rosebud’s sad, anxious little face. 

And so the weary days passed away, and sometimes 
grand-dad was better and sometimes worse. Mrs. 
White came every day, and kind Mr. Dighton was 
always calling in, bringing letters and messages from 
Violet; and even James, the footman with the stiff 
neck, came one evening quite on his own account to 
inquire after Rosebud’s grand-dad. 

“ Did you ever hear the like ! ” said Mrs. White, 
when she heard of James’s visit. “ I’d have sooner 
thought of one of Madame Tussaud’s figures leaving 
the wax-work room and coming here to pay a friendly 
call ! ” 

There was one little lady who was longing to come 
and see Childic, and put her arms around her and 
kiss her. She had not been very well for the last 


98 


LITTLE ROSEBUD. 


few days, for she was but a fragile, delicate little 
flower; and she was full of grief for Rosebud’s sake, 
and felt herself quite lost without her little mother’s 
affectionate companionship. 

One morning she said to Mr. Dighton : 

“Papa dear, will you take me to see Rosebud 
to-day?” 



It was the first time she had ever proposed to go 
out. The doctors had told Mr. Dighton repeatedly 
that if she could once make the effort she would 
become all the stronger, and that she would soon 
learn to have confidence in her strength, and that 
confidence would bring more strength. 

Mr. Dighton was overjoyed at her request. 

“ That is my brave little girl ! ” he said, fondling 


A CITAFTI^Il OF FLFASAJVT SUBPBISES. 99 


her fair hair. ‘‘ Of course I will take you to see 
Rosebud. We will go quite by ourselves, and we 
won’t even tell Mrs. White our secret, so that she 
will be just as surprised as Rosebud. Hurrah ! little 
Violet, you will see Rosebud again, and her quaint 
old home, and Mr. Jones perhaps ; and, who knows, 
we may be able to pay a visit to his shop. But what 
you will like best of all, Violet, is that you will cheer 
Rosebud, and bid her take hope and comfort for her 
poor old grandfather.” 

“ Yes, indeed, I will,” she answered, earnestly. 
“ She has been so much to me, papa dear, and I want 
to be something to her.” 

When Mrs. White was safely out of the house Mr. 
High ton ordered James to get Violet’s bath-chair in 
readiness. He had bought it ever so long ago in the 
hopes that she would be persuaded to use it. 

“We shall not want you, James,” said Mr. Dighton, 
“ because I myself am going to wheel it.” 

James stared, and thought the world was coming 
to an end ; but he did not dare to ask any questions. 

Then Violet was dressed, and Mr. Dighton carried 
her tenderly down-stairs, looking very happy ; for he 
loved his little girl with all the love of his kind heart, 
and it seemed to him that the future was going to be 
very bright for her and for him. There was nothing 
to cloud his happiness, except, indeed, grand-dad’s ill- 
ness ; and he had wonderful schemes in his mind for 
Rosebud and her grandfather when he should have 
recovered his health and strength. 


100 


LITTLE ROSEBUD, 


He chatted cheerily to Violet as he wheeled her 
along. 

“ Tell me if I bump you too much,” he said. 

“ You don’t bump me at all,” she said, smiling 
happily. “ And what a lovely morning it is, papa 

dear ! Doesn’t it seem 
sad that any one should 
be ill on such a beautiful 
warm day?” 

She was not at all 
nervous, although this 
was the first time she 
had been out in her 
chair. Her one thought 
was to get to Rosebud. 

At last they turned 
down the narrow street 
and stopped in front of 
a tumble-down old sec- 
ond-hand book-shop. 

“ Here we are ! ” said 
Mr. Dighton. “ This is 
Rosebud’s home. Now, 
little lady, shall I carry you in, or are you going to 
step out for yourself ? ” 

“ I am going to step out for myself,” she said, 
trembling with eagerness. 

And with the help of his strong hand she walked 
into the book-shop. 

But she had been observed by a certain red-nosed 



A CUAPTEli OF PLFASANT ISUBPlilSFS. 101 

person on the other side of the road. He flew across 
and arrived just in time to get grand-dad’s armchair 
ready for her. 

“Well now!” he said, excitedly, “this is just 
pretty of you, it is 1 Who’d have thought as how the 
little lady would have come here so soon ? God bless 
her little heart ! ” 

Without any ceremony at all he snatched a 
cushion from Mr. Dightoii and arranged it nicely 
for Violet, and, seizing the biggest hook he could 
find, placed her little feet upon it, all the time mur- 
muring : 

“ This is just pretty of you, it is ! Ain’t I just 
pleased, too, that’s all ! ” 

He then remembered the existence of Mr. Dighton, 
who had stood watching his thoughtful attentions. 

“ Begging your pardon, sir,” he said, politely, “ hut 
I was so excited to see the little lady that I’m blessed 
if I didn’t forget yourself. Please be seated, sir ; and 
make yourself at home, I’m sure, while I go and tell 
Rosebud as some folks is wanting to see her. She is 
a bit easier to-day, sir ; for the grand-dad’s had a good 
night.” 

“ I am glad of that,” said Mr. Dighton. 

“ Mind you don’t tell her who has come, dear Mr. 
Jones,” said Violet. 

“ Bless you, no ! ” he answered ; “ she’ll soon find 
out, she will.” 

Childie did indeed wonder who her visitors could 
be. She left grand-dad in Mrs. White’s charge, and 


102 


LITTLE ROSEBUD. 


followed Mr. Jones down to the shop. He darted 
away, thinking that the two little friends would like 
to be alone ; and Mr. Dighton had had the same 



thought, too, for he strolled up the street, smoking a 
cigar. 

Childie gave one little cry of surprise and delight 
when she saw Violet’s eager face and heard her voice 
saying : 


A CHAP TEE OF PLEASANT SURPEISES. 103 

“ Rosebud ! darling Rosebud ! ” 

She knelt down by her side, and whispered : 

“ Miss Violet dear, it’s you,” and burst into tears, 
resting her pale little face on Violet’s lap. 

It was all too much for her. But she felt Violet’s 
loving kiss on her forehead, and she smiled through 
her tears. 

“ It’s you who are the little mother now,” she said. 

I’m only a silly baby. But, oh, dear Miss Violet ! I 
am happy you’ve come.” 

“ Do you remember. Rosebud,” asked Violet, “ how 
you said that it would be a happy day when I came 
to see you ? ” 

“ And so it is,” said Childie, her face brightening ; 
“ for grand-dad’s ever so much better.” 

And whilst they were talking there was a heavy 
tread heard on the stairs, and good old Mrs. White 
came into the shop. 

“ Grand-dad is sleeping sound,” she said, cheerily. 
‘‘ Deary me, Childie, I forgot you’d a visitor.” 

“ Don’t go away,” said Childie, coming from behind 
the counter. “ My visitor would like to speak to you. 
I’ve been telling her how kind and good you’ve been 
to grand-dad and me.” 

Mrs. White no sooner saw who the visitor was than 
she put her ample arms around Violet, and called her 
by a string of endearing names. 

“ My pretty little lamb, didn’t I say you’d be run- 
ning faster than me one of these fine days ? ” she ex- 
claimed. “ My heartsease, my sweetheart, my little 


104 


LITTLE BOSEIiUD. 


pet chicken ! Deary me, to think of you coming after 
Rosebud and me ! ” 

‘‘Everything has taken a turn, hasn’t it?” said 
Childie, smiling at Violet. “ You have, and darling 
grand-dad has ; there’s no doubt about that.” 

“ That’s what the parrot says now ! ” cried Violet, 



excitedly ; and then she stopped suddenly, for Mr. 
J ones and Mr. Dighton stepped into the shop. 

“There, you’ve been and told,” said Mr. Jones, 
shaking his fist at her. “ Oh, you naughty little lady ! 
But you’ll all come and hear for yourselves what the 
parrot says now. Childie, I learnt that bird to say 
‘Things ’ave took a turn,’ just as a surprise for you; 


A ClIAPTEll OF PLEASANT SUBPRISES. 105 

and you was to have heard it the very day grand-dad 
fell ill. And all the time you and Mrs. White have 
been nursing grand-dad, that ’ere parrot has been call- 
ing this out ; and I scolded awful at her, and couldn’t 
bear to listen to her saying words which weren’t true. 
And every time she called it, I cried, ‘ Stop that, do 
you hear ? ’ But she called it all the same ; and then 
I threw a dark cloth over her head, and that didn’t 
stop her prating! But now I love to hear them 
words ; for they’re all true to-day, ain’t they ? ” 

“ Yes, they’re all true,” said Childie, smiling 
happily. And all her kind friends, red-nosed Mr. 
Jones, and dear fat Mrs. White, and fragile little Vio- 
let, and tall Mr. Dighton, were glad to see her smile 
again ; for she had not smiled a great deal lately. 


CHAPTER TX. 


A NEW LEASE OF LIFE. 


VERY afternoon at two o’clock, the hour when 



^ Rosebud used to start for Grosvenor Square, 
Violet, proud in her new-found strength, left her 
home for the second-hand book-shop. Sometimes Mr. 
Dighton wheeled her, and sometimes James. James, 
who had very high and mighty ideas, thought the 
family had all gone mad, and that he was going mad, 
too ; for he took a wonderful interest in little Rose- 
bud’s home, and once, when he was waiting in the 
shop, he turned over the books, and seeing one which 
he thought looked interesting, — it was about horse- 
racing, — he bought it then and there, and paid the 
money to Mr. Jones, who divided his time between 
birds and books, and had a great deal of exercise in 
running from one side of the road to the other. But 
he did not mind that. He would have liked to sell 
as many books for grand-dad as he sold canaries for 
himself. 

“ Pm selling canaries by the bushel, and linnets by 
the gallon,” he confided to Violet. See if I don’t 
take one of them swell houses in Grosvenor Square 
before this ’ere year is gone ! ” 


106 


A LEASE OF LIFE. 107 

“ I wish you would,” said Violet, smiling at him. 

“ Wait a bit,” he answered, gravely ; “ don’t you be 
in a hurry. You ain’t been in a hurry to step across 
the road and see my place.” 

“Why, Mr. Jones,” she replied, “you know quite 
well I am waiting until Rosebud feels she can leave 
her grandfather.” 

“ Bless your heart, I know that,” he answered. 
“You mustn’t come without Rosebud. Why, she 
made us acquainted, and we shouldn’t be happy with- 
out her dear little self. Ah, the many hours that ’ere 
child has passed with them birds in my shop ! She 
was always for getting the seed out and feeding them. 
Childie ruined me in seed, specially hemp seed ; and 
I couldn’t refuse her. Who could, I wonder ? ‘No 
seed to-day, Childie,’ I’d say to her, handing her a 
bagful against my will. Oh, she has a wonderful way 
about her, she has ! ” 

That same afternoon Violet had a customer all to 
herself. She was sitting as usual in grand-dad’s arm- 
chair, waiting for Childie to come down and have a 
cup of tea and a piece of cake, when a gentleman 
stepped into the shop, took a book from a certain box 
marked “ All one shilling,” and tossed the shilling on 
to the counter, and hurried away reading. It was 
only a shilling, but Violet was so proud of it that she 
could have eaten it ! 

“ Who would have thought that I should sit here 
and sell a book for Rosebud’s grandfather?” she 
remarked to Mr. Jones. 


108 


LITTLE nOSEBUD. 


“ Well, it is a new sort of life to you,” he answered, 
as he clinked the shilling on the counter ; “ and jolly 
nicer, too, than being shut up in that ’ere fine room 
of yours.” 

‘‘ Jolly nicer,” laughed Violet, who was becoming 
quite merry. 

And as for grand-dad himself, every morning saw 
him better. The doctor told Childie that he had had 
a very severe attack, and that at one time he did not 
think her grandfather would recover. 

“ Ihit you never lost heart, my little dear,” he said, 
kindly. 

‘‘ No, sir,” she answered, simply, looking up at him 
and smiling gravely. “ When one loves, sir, it is only 
natural to hope, isn’t it? And then you know, sir, 
when grand-dad has been sad and anxious about trade, 
I’ve always told him he must never lose hope ; and 
one must practise what one preaches, mustn’t one ? ” 

“ That is true enough, little girl,” he replied. “ At 
least, you’ve done so. Well, I’m not going to tell you 
to take extra care of the grandfather, now that he is 
out of danger, for you are always thinking of his com- 
fort, and I can trust you thoroughly. You are a 
famous little nurse.” 

“Thank you, sir,” she answered, grateful for his 
kind words. Indeed, her heart was full of gratitude. 

She sat by grand-dad’s side, holding his dear hand, 
talking to him in her own motherly way, sometimes 
stitching a little, sometimes putting down her work 
and watching his dear face as he lay asleep, and won- 


A LEASE OF LIFE. 109 

dering what she should have felt like if there had 
been no hope for his recovery. Every one of his 
white hairs was precious to her. 

‘‘ He needed my care before he was ill,” she said to 
herself, but now he’ll need it doubly ; and oh, won’t 
I love him and look after him ! ” 

Dear little heart, she had always done that. Some- 
times she would look up from her work, and see his 
eyes fixed upon her. 

“ You are indeed one of God’s own gracious smiles, 
Childie,” he said once. “ I am always wondering 
about you, and always grateful for you.” 

And one afternoon he asked where her dolls were. 
“ I miss Jane Eyre, and Robinson Crusoe, and Queen 
Elizabeth,” he said, smiling. ^ “ They were always 
sprawling about somewhere. I liked to have them 
near me, because you were fond of them, Childie.” 

She took them out of a drawer, and put them tidy, 
and gave them a private scolding for looking so sulky 
and disagreeable. But that was scarcely reasonable 
of her ; for no one would particularly enjoy being 
shut up in a drawer for nearly a fortnight! 

‘‘ 1 haven’t had any thoughts to spare for you,” she 
said to Queen Elizabeth ; for she felt that she owed 
some sort of explanation to royalty. “ Grand-dad has 
been ill, and when those we love are ill, we can’t be 
bothered to think about inferior people.” 

This was scarcely an explanation to give to a queen. 
It was really a lucky thing for Childie’s neck that 
Queen Elizabeth was only a stupid, powerless doll. 


no 


LITTLE nOSEBUL. 


One day grand-dad asked Childie about the shop. 
“ Any more books gone, dear ? ” he inquired. 

“ Several,” she answered. “ Trade is very good 
just now. Some one came yesterday and bought the 
fat Greek dictionary. I was very sorry to part with 
it. It is such an old friend, you know. The same 



gentleman wanted to buy the learned book you were 
reading before you were taken ill. It had your spec- 
tacles in it, grand-dad. I couldn’t let it go ; and 
your snuff-box was lying just by it on the counter. 
The gentleman seemed rather cross, and said I was a 
silly little girl.” 

“A very dear little girl,” murmured grand-dad, 


A jvmr LEASE OF LIFE. 


Ill 


smiling at her in his old proud way. He said to him- 
self that it was indeed worth while getting well for 
the sake of being loved as Childie loved him. 

One morning he watched her covering an old worn- 
out book. “ Poor, battered old thing,” he said, sympa- 
thetically. “ Ah, Childie, what a glorious library that 
is of Mr. Dighton’s! I am always thinking about it. 
Do you know, Childie, Pve dreamt ever so many 
times that it belonged to me. Wasn’t that a golden 
dream ? ” 

“ Yes, grand-dad,” she answered, brightly, happy to 
see that he was so much better. “ But I wish, dear, 
that it was not only a dream. I wish that I had bags 
of money, and could buy a beautiful library like Mr. 
Dighton’s, and give it to you. Shouldn’t I be proud 
of myself then ? I would buy every book you loved, 
grand-dad ; and I think I know the names of a great 
many of your favourite books, don’t I ? ” 

He smiled. 

‘‘ Yes, Childie,” he replied, you know all about 
me. Why, sometimes you can tell me the number of 
the page where I left off, can’t you ? ” 

“ Of course,” she answered, “ it is easy enough to 
learn that; and it saves you the trouble of turning 
over a great many pages, doesn’t it ? And Pm bound 
to put a mark in or remember in some way or other, 
when I take out your spectacles and scold you for 
having left them in to be squashed, — like poor 
Crusoe’s arm, you know ! ” 

He laughed quite merrily at the very thought of 


112 


LITTLE ROSEBUD. 


Childie scolding him. There was no doubt that 
grand-dad was now fairly on the road to recovery. 

The next day he was so very much better that 
Childie was able to leave him, and make the long- 
promised visit to Mr. Jones’s shop, together with 
Violet. 

Mr. Jones, who was in a high state of excitement, 
wanted to carry everybody across the road ; but Vio- 
let said she would walk with Rosebud, and the two 
little friends took tlieir first stroll together, each one’s 
arm around the other one’s waist. 

“ You’re not frightened, dear Miss Violet?” asked 
the little mother. 

‘‘ Of course Tm not frightened with you. Rosebud 
dear,” answered Violet. 

Mr. Jones stood at his shop door to receive his 
little guests. 

“ Ain’t 1 just proud to see you, that’s all ! ” he said, 
rubbing his hands. “ Haven’t I just been busy clean- 
ing out the place nice for you ? Bless your hearts, 
it’s as spruce as any drawing-room. That’s your 
chair, missy dear. Sit you down. And here’s littl’un’s 
special stool. And make yourself at home, missy 
dear ; for I’m blessed if I ain’t particular glad to see 
you sitting so cosy and friendly. And that ’ere bird’s 
the bird as we’ve spoken of. Only don’t you just 
think she’ll screech now that we want her to ! Oli, no! 
Have you ever seen one of them poodles perform when 
people wishes them to [)erform ? Bless you, no. They 
go dead sulky, they do, and won’t even look cheerful.” 


A NUJV LEASE OF LIFE. 


113 


Violet was delighted with the birds. She fell in 
love with a Virginian nightingale, and said she 
intended to buy it if Mr. Jones would part with it. 

“ All right, missy, one of these days,’’ he said, 
cheerily. “We aren’t selling or buying to-day. This 
ain’t business, this is pleasure, jolly j)leasure ! ” 



Then Childie went to a certain cupboard, and took 
out a certain bag, and said to Mr. Jones : 

“ If you please, dear Mr. Jones, may the birds have 
some hemp seed ? ” 

Mr. Jones turned to Violet and laughed. 

“ There now, didn’t I tell you as how that little 
child would be after the hemp seeds ? Oh, she’ll be 


114 


LITTLE ROSEBUD. 


the ruin of me ! Who’d give me hemp seeds if I was 
starving, I should like to know ? 

“I would,” cried Violet. 

‘‘And 1 would,” cried Childie. 

“’Urrah!” said Mr. Jones, “I shaVt come off 
badly, then.” 

At that moment the parrot became rather excited. 
She had heard a word she recognised, — the word 
’urrah, — and without any hesitation she shrieked out, 
at the top of her voice : 

“ Things ’ave took a turn — ’urrah ! things ’ave 
took a turn — ’urrah ! Say that, donkey. Stop that, 
d’you hear?” 


CHAPTER X. 


A PLEASANT PROSPECT, 


0 grand-dad recovered from his illness, and came 



down into the old shop one afternoon, leaning on 
Childie’s arm. 

Aren’t you glad to see the dear books again ? ” 
Childie asked, as she made him comfortable in his 
armchair, and took her accustomed place by his side. 
“ And isn’t it like old times, grand-dad, for you and me 
and Jane Eyre, and Mr. Crusoe, and Queen Elizabeth, 
to be sitting here and waiting for customers to come 
in ? And, grand-dad darling, here is a new snuff-box 
for you, with beautiful fresh snuff in it. Violet has 
bought it for you. And see, grand-dad, IVe made a new 
velvet skull-cap for your dear old head. Dear me ! 
How pretty your white hair looks beneath it. I 
think you are just like a picture, grand-dad ; and Mrs. 
White thinks so, too.” 

She had put the cap on his head, and was staring 
at him admiringly when Violet arrived, and was in- 
troduced to grand-dad, whom she had never seen 
before ; and she made Rosebud feel very proud and 
happy by whispering : 


115 


116 


LITTLE LOSE BUD. 


Oh, Rosebud darling, what a sweet old gentle- 


man 


I ” 


Childie hugged her with delight, and said, bliss- 
fully : 

“Isn’t he just lovely? Isn’t he just beautiful?” 

And then Violet had 
some wonderful news 
to give Rosebud about 
the country. 

“ Papa says you 
and your dear grand- 
father are to come 
with us to our coun- 
try home next week. 
He is going to tell 
you all about it him- 
self. Oh, you don’t 
know how lovely it is, 
Rosebud. I haven’t 
seen much of it, be- 
cause 1 have not been 
able to walk about ; 
but I love to lie on 
the sofa under the 
trees, and listen to the birds singing, and the dear 
cuckoo. You’ve never heard the cuckoo, have you ? ” 
“ No,” answered Childie, her face aglow with ex- 
citement at the prospect of going to the country. 
“ I’ve only heard a cuckoo-clock. Is that anything 
like?” 



A PLEASANT PROSPECT. 


IIT 


“ Something,” said Violet, smiling ; “ but not like 
the real thing, you know. And then. Rosebud, the 
trees are so green, and the clouds are such a lovely 
shape, and the cows look so pretty in the fields. 
Oh, we shall be happy all together ! ” 

“ And won’t the colour just come into grand-dad’s 
cheeks ! ” cried Childie, laughing with glee. ‘‘ Grand- 
dad, darling, do you hear what we are saying ? Won’t 
you just be happy, reading under the trees with your 
poor left eye ! ” 

“Won’t the colour just come back into Childie’s 
cheeks ! ” answered grand-dad, smiling at her ; “ pale, 
thin little cheeks, pale and thin because of a stupid 
old grandfather.” 

“ And Mr. Jones is to come and spend his holi- 
day with us,” continued Violet, breathlessly ; “ and 
of course Jane Eyre, and Mr. Crusoe, and Queen 
Elizabeth.” 

“ Of course,” said Childie, gravely ; “ one couldn’t 
go without them, you know. And have you told dear 
Mr. Jones yet ? ” 

“ No,” answered Violet ; “ but papa will tell him.” 

“ I think I must,” said Childie, eagerly. “ How he 
will like to hear the birds singing in the trees ! And 
how he’ll love to hear the cuckoo ! ” 

“ Who’ll love to hear the cuckoo ? ” asked Mr. 
Jones, popping in suddenly. 

“ You will,” cried Childie. 

“ That ’ere child’s mad,” said Mr. Jones, staring at 
her. Then, seeing grand-dad, he exclaimed : 


118 


LITTLE ROSEBUD. 


“ Hurrah, sir, a million welcomes to you ! My 
word, how we’ve missed you down here ! Them books 
has been quite forlorn, and we’ve been forlorner.” 

After he had chatted a little to grand-dad, he turned 
to Childie and said, coaxingly : 

“ What about that ’ere cuckoo you were naming as 
I came ? ” 

‘‘ I’m not going to tell you,” said Childie, trying to 
be very haughty ; but the next minute she had caught 
hold of his hand, and was telling him the wonderful 
news. 

“ Look here,” he said, “ are you poking fun at me, 
or is this real true ? ” 

“ It is real true ! ” cried the little girls, delightedly, 
and even grand-dad joined in too. 

“ Well, then, I am took aback,” he said, pulling 
out his handkerchief, and blowing his nose rather 
violently ; “ that’s all. To think of me having a holi- 
day ; not one of them bank holidays, when it always 
rains cats and dogs, but a proper fine holiday with 
Childie, and Childie’s grand-dad, and little missy here. 
Yes, I’m took aback, I am. Why, I’ve not been to the 
country since I was a little innocent-like boy, as 
climbed the neighbours’ trees and stole the fruit ; and 
didn’t it just taste fine ! I used to hear the cuckoo 
then, but it’s a sight of years ago.” 

He blew his nose again still more violently. 

“You’ve got a cold, dear Mr. Jones,” said Childie, 
kindly. 

“No, littl’un,” he answered, gently, “I’ve not got 


A PLEASANT PROSPECT. 


119 


no cold ; but I’ve got a bit of a lump in my heart with 
thinking about my old home in the country. And 
there’s nothing like that, Childie, to make one just a 
bit sad. Begging your pardon, I think I’ll just go and 
clean up my shop.” 

Childie followed him to the door, and then put up 
her face to be kisssed. 

“ Dear Mr. Jones,” she whispered, “ I think you 
are an old darling, and I love you very much.” 

“ Littl’un,” he said, as he lifted her up in his arms, 
“ you’ve got a sweet little sympathetic heart of your 
own, you have. Bless your dear, tiny, wee self.” 


CHAPTER XI. 


grand-dad’s dream comes true. 

EFORE they all started for the country, Mr. 



-U Dighton and Mrs. White had a long, serious 
consultation together in Mr. Highton’s wonderful 
library. 

“ I should not like to do anything of the kind with- 
out your advice,” said Mr. Dighton ; “ but tell me now, 
Mrs. White, what do you think of my plan ? ” 

“ I think it is splendid, sir,” she answered, her kind 
face beaming with smiles. “ Deary me ! I don’t 
know what we should do without Rosebud ; and Miss 
Violet is always her brightest when that deary child 
is here. And Rosebud will never leave her grand-dad 
now. She used to cry awful because he’d been taken 
ill when she wasn’t with him. She was always re- 
proaching herself, and fretting her little tender heart 
away.” 

“ Well, she won’t do that any more,” replied Mr. 
Dighton ; “ for old Mr. Burnley will be quite happy 
here, looking after my library, and collecting books 
for me, and reading them to his soul’s content. He 
is a scholarly old gentleman, and I shall be pleased 


120 


GBAND- DAD'S DUE AM COMES TRUE. 121 

to have him with us. Do you think Rosebud will 
consent to come, Mrs. White ? ’’ 

“ Yes, sir,” replied Mrs. White ; “ because, begging 
your pardon, sir, she’s awful fond of you and Miss 
Violet, and me too, sir, if you’ll excuse me saying so. 



But it’ll be a shocking wrench to part with her friend, 
Mr. Jones. That’ll be the trouble, sir.” 

“ But he shall come here just as often as he likes,” 
said Mr. Dighton, “and he’ll always be welcome. 
Rosebud has done so much for my little Violet, that I 
feel I cannot do half enough for her ; and Mr. J ones 
is my friend now as well as hers.” 

“ I’m sure he’s a very nice gentleman,” said Mrs. 



122 


LITTLE ROSEBUD. 


White, enthusiastically, for Mr. Jones had quite won 
her good-will ; “ and I’ll be glad to do anything to 
make him cosy and comfortable here. You’ve no 
idea, sir, how kind that person was when Mr. Burnley 
was ill ; and he was never tired of running errands 
for me, and seeing to the shop, and taking thought for 
me and every one. And always a cheery word on his 
lips. And his love for Childie is like a bit of poetry, 
sir.” 

I see he has made a friend of you,” said Mr. 
Dighton, smiling, “ so that’s all right. For do they 
not say here that it is the best thing in the world to 
win Mrs. White for a friend, since she has it all her 
own way at No. 12, Grosvenor Square ? And a dear, 
good, kind way it is ! ” 

“ Thank you, sir,” she said, smiling with pleasure 
at his words of praise. 

Then Mr. Dighton, begging her not to tell Violet 
until he had concluded the arrangement, hurried off 
to the second-hand book-shop and found Childie alone, 
putting the books in order and dusting them very 
lovingly, and looking into some of them. 

Childie,” he said, gently, “ put these books down, 
and come and sit near me. I want to talk with you 
very seriously about grand-dad and yourself.” 

Yes, sir,” she answered, gravely. 

Then he told her that he wanted grand-dad and her- 
self to come and live with him at Grosvenor Square, 
and that grand-dad would look after the library and 
have no troubles, and she would divide her time 


GBANB-BAB'S BBEAM COMES TRUE. 123 


between him and Violet, who loved her dearly; and 
Mrs. White would take care of them both. 

“ You would be sorry to leave the old book-shop,” 
he said, kindly; “but then, grand-dad is old and 
weary, and trade is very slack sometimes, isn’t it? 
And grand-dad would be far happier in my library, 
seeing to the beautiful old 
manuscripts I collect, and 
reading my books to his 
heart’s content, and helping 
me in my work.” 

“ Oh, he would be hap- 
py ! ” she cried, as usual 
thinking always of him. 

“ He would be happy ! ” 

“And you, little Rose- 
bud, would you be happy ? ” (Ijf 
he asked, anxiously. 

“ Oh, yes!” she answered, 
brightly ; “ but — ” 

“ But what, child ? ” he 
asked, knowing quite well 
what she meant. 

“ But, dear Mr. .Jones,” she stammered out, looking 
very distressed. “ I love him so much, and I couldn’t 
bear not to see him again. You see, he is my old 
friend ; and I love my old friends better than my new 
ones. You are not angry with me for saying this, are 
you ? ” 

“ Indeed not. Rosebud,” he said, taking her hand. 




124 


LITTLE TiOSEBlTB. 


“ You have a loyal little heart, and I love you all the 
more for it. But you. would not have to say good-bye 
to Mr. Jones. Why, he should come whenever he 
liked, and we would all be delighted to see him. You 
know, Childie, we look upon him as our friend, too ; 
first for your sake, and then for his own sake. He 
and his pipe would always be welcome, and of course 
you could come here to visit him as often as you liked. 
Does it seem so very dreadful now. Rosebud ? ” 

“ No,” she answered, smiling at him through her 
tears. “ And indeed, sir, I’lji not an ungrateful little 
girl, for I think you are so very kind, you and dear 
Miss Violet and Mrs. White. I can’t imagine what 
I’ve done to receive such wonderful kindness.” 

“ Why, Childie,” he said, ‘‘ you have done eveiy- 
thing for me. If it had not been for .you, I believe 
my little girl would still be lying on the sofa day after 
day, finding the hours drag very wearily. But you 
came and made them spin away like a bicycle ! And 
clever little doctor that you are, you managed to put 
some colour into her cheeks, and some strength into 
her body. And so I say, ‘ God bless you,’ dear little 
Rosebud. And Violet loves you, and nothing would 
make her happier than for you and grand-dad to live 
with us. Do you think you could leave the old 
book-shop, Childie ? ” 

“I am sure I could,” she answered, gently; and 
then she added to herself, “ for grand-dad’s sake.” 

So when grand-dad crept slowly into the shop, she 
left Mr. Dighton to tell him of the great plan, know- 


GRAND DAD ’ S D .It dOMES TR UE. 


125 


ing that grand-dad would be happy beyond all words 
to have the charge of, and to read in, that beautiful 
library, which he had seen one morning before he was 
taken ill, and which he had spoken about so often 
during his illness. 

But she herself ran across the road to Mr. Jones. 

“ Well, littl’un,’’ he said, cheerily, placing her stool 
for her, “ and what can I serve you with this fine 
morning ? Here’s a pair of love-birds, stupid cooing 
things they are, to be sure, and here’s a tidy little 
goldfinch, and a new canary as sings to knock you 
down ; or perhaps you’re thinking to buy the parrot. 
Buy the parrot indeed ! I’ll trouble you ! As long as 
I’ve got a bit of a roof, that ’ere parrot will share it 
with me. We’ll eat our last hemp seed together, she 
and 1 will.” 

‘‘ Of course you will,” replied Childie. “ Why, the 
parrot is part of you and you are part of the parrot ! 
And you know, dear Mr. Jones, your nose is rather 
the same colour as the parrot’s tail, isn’t it ? ” 

‘‘ You leave my nose alone, Childie,” he said, “ or 
else you’ll leave the bird-shop. But now I look at 
your bit of a face, I see you’ve been crying a wee 
morsel. What’s wrong, littl’un ? ” 

“ Nothing,” she answered ; ‘‘ only I want to talk to 
you very, very seriously.” 

Talk on,” he replied ; “ I’m your man.” 

And she told him of Mr. Dighton’s proposal. 

“ Well, now,” he said, “ and why aren’t you looking 
jolly, happy, and aierry, and dancing about like a 


126 


LITTLE ROSEBUD. 


young kittenish thing, to think that grand-dad is going 
to be nicely cared for, and that ’ere old shop of yours, 
with them shabby, stupid books, is going to be sent 
to Jericho or some such place ? ” 

“ Oh, Mr. Jones,” she cried, “ I can’t bear to leave 
you, — that’s what I’m fretting about.” 

He blew his red nose very violently. 

“ Look here,” he said. 


“ didn’t you say as how 
me and my pipe were 
always to be welcome at 
that house ? And me 
and my pipe won’t stay 
away from that ’ere 
house from any shyness, 
I can tell you ! And 
who’s there to be fright- 
ened of in that house ? 
Mrs. White, bless you ! 
I wasn’t ever frightened 



of that woman ; it was her awful black bonnet concern 
with the violet flag waving on the top as first took me 
aback. When you lift the bonnet off and get to the 
real person, why, to be sure, it is a nice, kind person ! 
I think a deal of Mrs. White, I do ; and I know she’ll 
take care of my Rosebud better than me or grand-dad 
can. So don’t you be fretting for me, Childie. And 
there ! what a happy holiday we’re going to have in 
the country, aren’t we ? ” 

“ Yes,” she answered, smiling brightly. 


GRANB-BAI)' S BREAM COMES TRUE. 127 


“ And then, when you come back, off you go to 
Grosvenor Square,” he continued. “ Fancy me, now, 
having familiar-like friends in that ’ere swell part of 
London. Horrid, ugly place it is, too, — not near as 
snug as this shop ! And hark you, Childie, these last 
few months things have took such a queer turn, that 
who knows, if I shove away my odd farthings in a 
seed-tin, maybe I shall come and buy one of them 
horrid, ugly, big houses in Grosvenor Square. So it’s 
all settled now. Rosebud, and don’t you fear that I’m 
going to cut you because you and grand-dad and them 
’ere dolls of yours is going to be fashionable-like peo- 
ple ! So you run across and offer Mr. Jones’s respects 
and compliments to Mr. Dighton, and tell him as how 
I give my consent to the plan, and as how I’m hearty 
glad for grand-dad’s sake and Childie’s sake. Kiss 
me, littl’un, and then run across as hard as you can ; 
before I change my mind, you know.” 

He looked after her, and rubbed his eyes. 

“ Well, well,” he said to himself, “ I’m blessed if I 
ever thought things would take this sort of turn. 
But there, now. I’m not going to growl. Grand-dad 
and Childie will be cosy and comfortable, and she 
won’t have no troubles. Only it’ll take a sight of 
them seed-tins of money before I’m able to buy one 
of them ugly houses in Grosvenor Square ! ” 


CHAPTER XII. 


THE OLD AND THE NEW. 


VERY one at Grosvenor Square — James in- 



A— ^ eluded — was delighted to hear the good 
news. I think Violet and Childie and Mrs. White 
must have kissed one another hundreds of times. 
And then Childie described to them how she told 
dear Mr. Jones, and how unselfish and cheerful he 
was. “ Because, you know,” she said, plaintively, 
“ he will miss me a little, won’t he ? ” 

“ Of course, he will miss you ever so much,” cried 
Violet. “ But he must come and see us very often.” 

The kind, good man ! ” exclaimed Mrs. White. 
‘‘ Yes, he must come and smoke his pipe and have his 
cup of tea whenever he likes, and I will give him such 
a welcome. Rosebud dear.” 

“ I am sure you will,” said Childie, earnestly. 
“ And he will come very often, I’m certain ; for he 
has promised me, and he always keeps his word. 
Dear, dear Mr. Jones ! ” 

That same evening grand-dad and Childie and 
Jane Eyre and Mr. Crusoe and Queen Elizabeth sat 
together in the old book-shop. 

It isn’t any use my covering the books, grand- 


128 


THE OLD AND THE NE]V. 


129 


dad,” she said, “as we are going to part with them 
all.” 

He laid his hand on her head. 

“ Are you sorry we are going to part with them, 
Childie ? ” he asked, lovingly. 

“Just a little bit, grand-dad,” she answered, smil- 
ing. “ But then, grand-dad darling, we shall have 
heaps of other books to love, sha’n’t we ? And what 
I am so happy about is that you’ll have no worry, no 
anxiety. You’ll be able to read in the beautiful li- 
brary just as long as you please, and when your dear 
old eyes are feeling tired, why, then I’ll read to you. 
And I’ll take such loving care of you, grand-dad, in 
our new home ; for you’re not strong yet, dear, no, 
you’re not strong yet.” 

She had risen up, and was standing at the back of 
his chair, her hands clasped around his neck, and her 
little head resting against his cheek. 

“ Dear little Childie,” he murmured, “ there’s no one 
like my Childie in the whole world. When I want 
to say how much I love her, I cannot find words half 
gentle enough, except when I call her one of God’s 
brightest smiles, and one of his sweetest, fairest flow- 
ers. Books are all very well, Childie, but they are 
not as beautiful as flowers. And my little Rosebud, 
my little flower, would make any home happy for her 
old grand-dad.” 

The weeks, the months, the years go merrily by at 
the great house in Grosvenor Square. Violet’s strength 


130 


LITTLE ROSEBUD. 


increases together with her love for her little friend 
and companion, Rosebud ; and Mr. Dighton blesses 
the day when he first went into that old second-hand 
book-shop, and made the acquaintance of the sweet 
little shopkeeper who was to become so dear to Violet 



and himself. Grand-dad finds pleasure and delight 
in working for Mr. Dighton, and collecting beautiful 
books and manuscripts for the splendid library, which 
is really the pride of his heart. And Childie loves to 
see him happy, and feels that she can never be thank- 
ful enough to the tall gentleman for all his kindness 
to grand-dad and herself. 


THE OLD AND THE NEW. 


131 


And she is happy, too, especially when a certain red- 
nosed person leaves a certain bird-sliop to take care of 
itself, and comes to have a cup of tea and a smoke 
with his friends in the “ horrid, ugly house.” 

He does not seem to mind it being horrid and ugly, 
for he comes very often, knowing full well that he 
will always get a hearty welcome from his own little 
Rosebud child, from dear old grand-dad, from little 
missy, from little missy’s papa, from James himself, 
and last, not least, from kind Mrs. White. 



























